Finally Clear To Me
by Shinobi Kisses
Summary: [NaruSaku] After the tragic death of her parents, Sakura now sees the pain and suffering Naruto and Sasuke must live with every day, and as she slowly recovers, Naruto is with her every step of the way... [Not an AU.]
1. Never Really Alone

-- Disclaimer: I only own my imagination and the tools to show them to others via internet…

* * *

**Naruto**

**Finally Clear To Me**

**By: Shinobi Kisses**

**Chapter 1: Never Really Alone**

* * *

Thunder rolled overhead and the rain poured, drenching anything and everything below. It was dark outside and yet, there were still a few hours before the evening. Clouds floated overhead and the air was chilled, sending an ominous wind through the streets. Many remained in their shops or at home with their families while only a few still roamed the street, doing some last minute shopping or simply not letting the weather control their lives. 

Everyone else was on top of the small tower, standing with bowed heads in front of the platform that came to be a sign of bereavement and misery. It wasn't often people went there, while a single podium stood with a delicate black cloth and haunting glass memories. It was always a sorrowful day when the Yamanaka Flower Shop sold dozens after dozens of flowers. They always ended up at a place of mourning, and today was no exception…

Ino had attended the service that day, after she was done with her duties, and her parents came as well. Her eyes narrowed as apologetic tears formed in her teal eyes. She watched as her best friend since childhood stood there, staring into the blank faces of the people whom had raised her. She bowed her head, finding it difficult to watch something like that. She watched her feet instead.

The crowd huddled under the roof of umbrellas, the rain shattering the silence. Nobody dared speak a word and they waited.

Haruno Sakura gazed at the formal picture of her parents. They were standing together, her father's hand resting comfortably on her mother's shoulder and they were smiling. Her clothes were heavy with rain and her hair stuck to her face, but she refused any umbrella offered to her. It wouldn't help. She'd surely drown in her tears later anyways…

The rain made it difficult to see, but she was crying. Tears rolled down her face and dripped from her chin, along with the rain. She stood as tall as she could but the heaviness was getting to her. Her clothes, she could deal with. The pain, she could not…

She sniffed, her lips curling into a heartbreaking frown. A single sob escaped her lips and her hand shot up to stop anymore. Her heart twisted painfully and it was difficult to breath. Fear and dread forced more tears from her aching eyes and she began to shiver. It was cold. Colder than usual. She was _freezing_, from the inside out. It was difficult to watch and many either bowed their heads or turned away. Few even left, unable to take it anymore. They abandoned her there until only few remained.

Uzumaki Naruto was among them.

His solemn face turned upward to see his former sensei. He frowned at the dreadful look in his lazy eye. He didn't believe he'd ever seen Kakashi look that way before. Certainly the man had seen and experienced horrors beyond his own imagination. The look on his face showed another side to his perverted sensei… He felt the same way he did as they watched their companion endure something that no child should ever have to suffer.

Kakashi had always hoped that at least Sakura would never have to experience the pain of being truly alone, or losing everything you had. It essentially broke his heart to watch her. He debating leaving, but he couldn't do that now. He had always watched over Naruto and Sasuke, because they had nobody else, but he'd never had to watch over her the same way, since she still had her parents. He breathed out, bowing his head slightly. It wasn't his duty, but he had made his decision.

He glanced at Naruto, his heart growing heavier. Naruto had always displayed his affections for Sakura and openly tried to get closer to her. He saw a looked of reluctance in his blue eyes now. His hands were fisted and he looked as though he was having trouble deciding whether to go to her and comfort her or to just stay put. He would probably have no words to say to her anyway. She was suffering something that more related to Sasuke's pain and Naruto had never lost his parents after years of growing up and living with them. He had lost friends along the way, but to lose someone that close to you…

Kakashi broke from his stupor as Naruto stepped forward, cautiously, and then stopped. He waited and walked forward again, continuing this time. The grey haired man gave a long sigh and pocketed his fists. He would wait for them while the others leaved. Sakura was alone now and not used to being alone. She would need help. This wasn't something she'd be preparing for and to be suddenly thrown into the world by such means was truly unfair. All he could do for her now was be there for her and help her.

Naruto stopped a few feet away from Sakura's trembling body, hesitating. His hand rose up but he fisted it and let it drop to his side again. He wanted so badly to be able to help her now, of all times, when she needed someone the most. His heart longed for her to reach out to him and need him. He was at a loss for words, though, and he doubted he could say anything to comfort her.

It was always easy with Sasuke around… He never had to come up with anything to comfort him because he never let the pain show. They would fight and argue and compete with each other and nothing was ever really uncomfortable or unnerving. But that was because Sasuke was a boy with too much pride.

This was Sakura… This was another completely different situation entirely…

He'd never known Sakura well enough, he contemplated. After so many years of being her teammate, of crushing on her and trying his best to _do_ his best, for _her_. He still didn't know enough, it seemed, and he hated it. He hated the feeling of being so close and yet, being so far away from someone he deeply cared for.

_Loved_, even…

"Sa…Sakura-chan…" His kept his voice low, though loud enough to hear over the rain and her sobs. Her only response was silence as her sobs died down. It sounded too much like she was just trying to hide them.

"I'm sorry…" Naruto made a face of surprise as she turned to him. His heart sank agonizingly low at the sight of her. Her pain was so clearly evident it made him sick. He was reminded of what had surprised him so much in the first place as she repeated herself, looking right at him. "I'm so sorry…"

"Sakura-chan, you have nothing to be sorry for," he said quickly, feeling uncomfortable. He watched as she turned to him, still hugging herself. She bit her lip, holding back another sob before continuing.

"No… I had no idea… it hurt so much… I'm sorry that Sasuke-kun had to… loose his family… And I'm sorry that… I never understood how… _painful_ it is to be…" she paused, coughing slightly. Naruto stepped forward, removing his black coat to place it around her shoulders. He frowned in concern as she looked up at him again. If possible, his heart sank despairingly lower. "To be… so alone…"

Naruto held her gaze for a moment and she bowed her head again, hiding behind her sopping pink tendrils. He frowned, his eyes narrowing in anger as he gripped her shoulders.

"Sakura-chan…" She didn't respond. "Look at me," he commanded softly, leaning forward. She looked up slowly, still partially hiding behind her rosy bangs. His hands left her shoulders and he placed them on her face, parting her bangs further.

And then, he smiled.

"You… You are _never_ alone…" He leaned closer, their noses touching affectionately. "Not while I'm still here…" She searched his eyes and more tears pooled and fell. She sniffed and shut her eyes, feeling his cool forehead touch her own. His thumbs caressed her cheeks softly for a moment before he dropped his hands. Her eyes opened and widened as he hugged her securely. It was the most comfortable she'd felt in days…

She sniffed again and raised her arms, her palms finding his shoulder blades. She gripped his shirt and buried her face against his shoulder. She would've cried and released all of her pent up sorrow, but she found she couldn't. It was too warm and too calming. She could only find the strength to lean against him and let him embrace her.

Kakashi stood at a distance and blinked. His eyes peered upward and he watched as the rain slowed to a light sprinkle here and there. He could see a few rays of sun peek through the clouds, illuminating the prestigious Hokage Monument. A small smile hid, unnoticed, under his mask and he turned to his side. The current Hokage was smiling at the same sight, her assistant at her side. He turned back to the two near the flowered display and his smile widened, feeling more genuine.

_Perhaps the future wasn't so uninviting after all…_

It didn't take long for exhaustion to finally catch up with her. Naruto carefully lifted Sakura into his arms, making sure not to wake her, and glanced at the monument for a moment before turning to the others. He smiled again and the entire village grew just a little bit brighter. As he approached the small group, Ino stepped forward, her parents right behind her.

"Sakura can stay with us for a while," she offered with a tiny smile. She was still getting over her tears. Naruto made a lopsided smile and turned to Tsunade, whom smiled.

"I think that would be best. Naruto," she called and said boy stood attention. "Take Sakura and go with Ino. It's going to be a rough night…" She spoke from experience. It was Tsunade herself whom had harbored the green eyed kunoichi when she was first informed of her parents… passing. "Kakashi, you'll come with me. We need to take care of few things…"

Naruto didn't question to nervous look in the elder man's eyes and followed as Ino and her parents began the trek home. He turned his attention to the girl in his arms and felt his heart began to rise from its bottom dwelling position. He was going to be there for her and he was going to play a big part in her revitalization. He vowed so and he lived by his vows…

He glanced to his side, feeling eyes on him and sure enough, Ino was watching him, her lips curved into an amused smile. He made a face and looked away, blushing lightly.

"You sure know how to handle her…" she said suddenly. Naruto faltered, turning to her with a reddened face.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" he asked hurriedly, looking guilty of something he was unsure of. Ino giggled and patted his shoulder as they neared her home.

"Calm down, lover boy. I only meant that… Well, I couldn't have done what you just did…"

"…What did I do again?" he asked, grinning. Ino sent an irritated glare his way and he began to sweat.

"…You comforted her, you dingbat. You calmed her down and really helped her out… You probably don't even fully understand what you've done." Naruto looked back at Sakura, wriggling his nose as she moved her face closer to him, under his chin. Ino smiled. "You know… I think you two deserve each other."

"…Nah… Sakura-chan won't even let me go out on a date with her… I'm just… a really good friend…" Ino watched his face fade from proud to solemn all while he continued to smile. That boy was really a mystery to her…

"You're a moron." She made no reaction to Naruto's glare. "You'd have to be blind not to see how much she cares about you." The glare disappeared from Naruto's face, this time, and he looked genuinely taken aback. Ino found herself smiling in spite of herself. "You, Naruto, are probably the only person in the world who would even be considered as her family now," she said, making him slow to a stop, Ino turning to face him.

"But… You, and Tsunade-baachan, and—"

"Yeah, she's got friends… She's got _close_ friends, but if you really think about it… You're probably the only one she can really talk to now." Ino rubbed her arm, looking to the side. "I couldn't possibly understand how she feels now… You, on the other hand grew up…" she hesitated, "Alone. You could help her better than anyone… Including myself…"

Naruto suddenly felt the weight of the world on his shoulders, and yet, it wasn't that bad. Never before had he been given such an immense responsibility, and yet, he could bare it. For Sakura's sake, he _had_ to bare it.

"I'm the only one…" he whispered, watching a small beam of sunlight reach Sakura's face. He looked up and Ino smiled, nodding.

"Now, come on. We should get her comfortable…" Naruto nodded back and followed her. Pride had seeped back into his soul and he felt more alive than he had in ages. He would help her, he vowed, and he would earn her love through trust and likeness. He was alone and now she was alone, but with the two of them together, maybe, they wouldn't be alone anymore.

He liked the thought of that… He liked it a lot…

* * *

A few weeks had passed, though it felt more like months. It was all the sitting doing nothing that made time pass so slowly… 

Sakura stared out the window of Ino's room with heavy eyelids. A yawn forced her lips to part and her eyes watered. She turned away from the window to spot her bleach blond companion on her bed, writing something in a notebook. She sighed and turned back to the window, squinting slightly from the bright rays of the sun.

"Do you… know where Naruto is… right now?" she asked carefully, quietly. Ino looked up then and twirled her pen a few times before getting up.

"I heard he was doing some kind of work for the Hokage, so he might be with her. Do you want to see him?" Ino didn't bother putting on a smug smirk or prod and poke about how in _love_ she was. She knew better.

Sakura had asked for Naruto many times during the past few weeks and often sat with him, just the two of them, sometimes with another somebody, mostly Ino. It was always when she was the most depressed when she'd suddenly ask about Naruto's whereabouts. There were nights where Ino would hear her cry softly and the very next morning she'd ask, quietly, "Do you… know where Naruto is… right now?"

It was always eerily similar and Ino would have no choice but to take the poor girl to see him. Her partner, whom always received her with a curious smile.

"Come on," Ino said, holding out her hand. Sakura took it with a weary smile.

"Yeah…"

* * *

Naruto's eyebrow twitched with frustration as he sat in the Hokage's office, staring out the window. He didn't move when Tsunade came in with bunches of papers in her hands and under her arm. She placed the papers on her cluttered desk and sighed in relief, dusting off her hands. She turned to Naruto then, frowning at his bored expression. 

"You know, you could've been helping me instead of moping around like that…" Naruto only sighed, his frown deepening. There was hardly anything she could do when he was like this. She threw up her hands dramatically, giving up, and took a seat at her desk.

"Obaa-chan…?"

"Hm?" she replied, her eyes roaming her various documents. She didn't look up, but he knew she was listening.

"Am I doing a good job…?" Tsunade made a face and looked up at him. Naruto leaned against the sill of the open window, the breeze playing with his lengthened blond locks, his eyes deep and unwavering. She smiled, turning to her papers again.

"What do you think?" Naruto bowed his head, looking uncertain.

"I…"

"Sakura asks to see you quite often, I hear." She heard him grunt softly. "Do you think she'd do that if she didn't trust you?"

"…No…"

"So, if she's satisfied, what does this tell you?" Naruto whined quietly.

"Why can't you just tell me, instead of making me think for myself…?" Tsunade chuckled.

"You're such an ignorant brat…"

"What'd you say?!" he retorted, shaking his fist threateningly.

"You heard me!"

A knock resounded on the door and a moment after, Shizune entered, a clipboard in hand. She paused for a moment, waiting with a wry smile as the two in the room acknowledged her presence.

"Yes, Shizune?"

"Right, um, Sakura-san is here." Naruto stiffened, catching the Hokage's eye. "She wishes to see Naruto-kun…"

Tsunade stood and turned to the blond with her hands on her hips. She smiled then, waiting patiently as he turned to Shizune, nodding gently. The brunette nodded back and turned, slowing so Naruto would follow her. He walked slowly, but assuredly, knowing his purpose. He left the room without glancing at the elder woman. Her smile dimmed a bit.

* * *

Sakura stood, alone, looking over the bridge railing into her reflection. She frowned at her appearance. Her skin was paler than normal and her eyes weren't as bright. She blinked several times, trying to make them shine, but it didn't work. She attentively held a few locks of her hair and frowned. She looked horrible… 

It was then that she saw another reflection beside hers and felt a warmth that made her insides melt with comfort. His reflection was smiling, though it was a little difficult to tell since the breeze made small waves, obscuring everything. She turned to him with a tired smile but it faded at the look on his face. He was frowning and he looked almost as tired as she did. Sakura straightened her back, her brow knit with worry. She reached out to him, hesitantly and cautiously touched his shoulder.

"Naruto…?" He didn't look at her and she drew back. Panic began to bubble in her stomach as she bowed her head. She wasn't sure what she did wrong…

"Sakura-chan… Are you… feeling any better?" Sakura blinked, with a curious tilt of the head and played with her fingers nervously when he stood up to face her with one hand on the railing. She made a noise, similar to a whine and glanced up. He gazed at her, awaiting her answer. She thought back to his question and dropped her hands.

"Yes… Yes, I feel… okay… Is something wrong?" He turned away from her, looking out over the water as a short breeze lifted his headband straps and played with her rosy bangs. He breathed in the fresh air and gripped the railing, eyes narrowed.

"I'm… just worried, I guess…" He turned to her and she stepped closer, her eyes never leaving his.

"Worried…?" she asked, looking confused. It was a little ironic really. It was always the other way around…

"Yeah… I… just want to make sure I'm doing my job…" He smiled a bit, gazing down at her. He scratched his head with his free hand and gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I'm probably bringing _unnecessary negativity_, as Obaa-chan calls it," he made a face, "I didn't mean to sound so… dreary."

"…I understand," she said quietly and turned to the water again. She placed both of her hands on the railing and took a deep breath, perfectly comfortable in the silence. That was until Naruto chuckled.

"I'm sorry, you called me here for something and I got us sidetracked. What'd you want to tell me?" He gave her his undivided attention and she was suddenly unsure of what to say. She had felt so horrible earlier and just needed to see him, but now that she was _with_ him, she didn't feel so horrible anymore. After a moment of thought—and another deep breath—she turned to him, chewing her lip timidly.

"…My favorite color is red…"

Never in her life had Sakura experienced Naruto so silent and void of expression…

"…Wh…What…?" he asked finally and Sakura lifted her chin with a little more confidence.

"My favorite color is red, and I hate spicy foods…" Naruto looked so helplessly confused, but she managed a calm smile. "I overheard you complaining sometime ago… I just thought you'd like to know, is all…" She turned to the water again and leaned on her elbows against the railing. She let the breeze cool her face and play with her hair as she waited for him to say something. It was nearly an entire couple of minutes later…

"What kinds of things do you do when I'm not around?" Sakura looked up with slight surprise to see him observing her with a playful seriousness. She felt her smile grow significantly and a small giggle escaped her lips.

"Well, let's see…"

Back and forth they passed hobbies and quirks. It became a game after a round of questions and Naruto had willingly joined in on the fun, answering whatever questions Sakura had directed toward him. A shocked gasp would occasionally pause the game—more due to accusations than surprising information—and sometimes it would erupt into a burst of laughter, leaving them both breathless.

Soon enough, they ended up sharing a secret or two and Sakura had to keep reminding herself just who she was talking to. It was almost like talking with Ino… While Naruto began to elaborate on a particularly awesome prank he once pulled, she took the time to _ignore_ what he was saying and concentrate more on him, instead. It made her feel good inside to see him so lively. It was almost like when they were small and life seemed so carefree and wonderful. It was _this_ feeling that made her seek him out when she was feeling so down and trod upon. Whenever he was around she couldn't possibly think of the cruel world outside of the walls. It was only her and Naruto. Two souls in much need of such a feeling…

"…Of course, I was only sent to my room as punishment, which wasn't much. I mean, I like my room and it's not like they can tell me to go there since it _is_ my house…" Sakura's smile dimmed a bit and Naruto turned to her with a curious glance. "What's up?" Sakura shook her head and peered up at him. She looked somber, her playfulness faded.

"You've… lived there a long time, huh?" Naruto wrinkled his nose in slight confusion.

"Of course…" After saying so he seemed to realize the implication of her words. "You mean… alone…" He didn't ask. He knew what she meant. Sakura turned away and bit her lip in shame.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" She was at a loss for words.

"You get used to it after a while…" A small beam of hope shone through the dull green of her eyes as she slowly turned to see him. Naruto held a calm demeanor and even smiled a bit.

"You do…?" She sounded skeptical and he gave her an impish grin.

"Sure! I mean, think about it! No rules, no worries, you work as hard as _you_ want to. There's no one to punish you and you don't have to share…" Sakura watched his grinning face with a dismal expression. He had sadness in his eyes…

"But…"

"But then…" She quieted as he looked at her, his smile soft and true. "When you get really lonely and it seems like you've got nothing in this whole wide world… You find someone… Someone who didn't have to look like you or act like you… And they accept you… And suddenly, you're not alone anymore…"

Sakura placed a hand over her heart and gripped her shirt. She turned back to the water, knowing full well that Naruto was watching her. Her heart was beating wildly, but she just couldn't seem to control it. Everything he said he spoke from experience. For once, it was Naruto whom was more knowledgeable and he was only too willing to share it with her, to help her. It made her heart beat faster, but in an unexpectedly good way.

"When… When I was told that my parents were killed in… that fire… I was so afraid because they were the only family I had… I don't have a clan or other relatives…" Naruto said nothing as she struggled not to cry. He listened and placed a callused palm over her whitened knuckles. "But, I'm not alone…" she said firmly, more to herself. She turned to him, suddenly, and searched his oceanic eyes. "…Right?"

Naruto smiled and raised his hand to her cheek, wiping her tears away with his thumb. She leaned into the touch, placing a hand over his, just to keep it there. He leaned forward slightly and nodded, fortitude in his eyes.

"Absolutely…"

* * *

There were only black remains. It was completely gone and even pieces that had survived had been moved away. The once proud standing Haruno household was departed, and with it, years of memories. Her red dress fluttered gently in the small breeze. She could no longer smell her mother's cooking or her father's strong scent. She could only smell ashes… and death… 

Sakura stepped over the wood fragments careful not to injure herself. She stopped near a few shreds of floral cloth and kneeled, gently picking a piece up. Naruto stood a respectable distance away, allowing Sakura her space. Even though he kept telling himself not to go comfort her he couldn't help but feel a tug on his heart.

"We were supposed to clean the couch…" She gave a hollow laugh. "It's going to be kind of hard to clean it now…" Naruto didn't appreciate the dry humor. He turned to his side to see Kakashi holding a cracked frame encasing a mildly burned picture. From the distance he couldn't see who it was of, but he had a feeling it was of significance.

Sakura cautiously approached her former sensei and nearly flinched when he handed her the picture. Sentiment stirred within her but she maintained control. It was her as a baby… with her parents. She should've seen it coming… A sudden jolt of pain made her draw her hand away, holding the picture in the other one. A thin trail of blood leaked from the small wound on her thumb she'd received from the broken glass. She watched a drop of blood fall to the ground and disappear in the ruins. If she knew her house as well as she thought she did… she was standing just beneath her bedroom…

She looked to the sky as if searching for her living space and left her thumb untouched. Her eyes met with nothing but air. Her thumb throbbed gently and she looked down again, her expression blank.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto stepped closer and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. He remained silent, even when her shoulders began to shake. Then she turned to him and even though tears were rolling down her cheeks… she was smiling. Naruto blinked at her looking confused and a little worried.

"Mom and dad wouldn't want me to waste me life grieving. Though, I'm going to miss them a lot…" Naruto felt a strange flash of pain in his heart as she spoke. He couldn't explain why he felt such a sensation, but as quickly as it came, it had vanished. He tried not the think of it anymore than he had to. Still… it was a little foreboding… "I'm ready to go now…"

Naruto and Kakashi both nodded and waited patiently as Sakura kissed her fingertips and placed them on the ground. It was her final goodbye, but she knew she would have them in her heart. With that she stood and left the place of her birth for the very last time…

* * *

**TBC...**


	2. The Mourning Should Be Over

-- Disclaimer: I only own my imagination and the tools to show them to others via internet…

-- Warning: Unnecessary use of bad words… Not that bad, I'm exaggerating...

* * *

**Naruto**

**Finally Clear To Me**

**By: Plushie-Sensei**

**Chapter 2: The Mourning Should Be Over**

* * *

It was hot outside. Sakura had to resort to wearing a sleeveless tank top, showing her bare midriff and a small pair of shorts. It was slightly uncomfortable to be showing so much skin, since she was still paler than normal, nonetheless she felt healthier than she had in weeks, so that was a good sign… 

She stood in the back of the Yamanaka Flower Shop, watering the flowers quietly. It seemed this was the only thing she was able to do nowadays. For nearly a month she'd been living with the Yamanakas and they had been so kind to her, but it had gotten to the point where she felt she was intruding.

There were times when she would sit at the table for dinner or everyone would watch a movie and she would just… be there. Just taking up unnecessary and possibly even unwanted space. She was tired of interfering with their daily lives…

She failed to notice her blond roommate walk in just as she voiced her thoughts.

"I need to live on my own…" Ino stepped forward, entirely prepared to bicker, but she stopped, her expression softening. Sakura's hands trembled as she placed the pail down beside the flowers and she turned her back to Ino. Her fingers drew in forming tight fists and she bowed her head. "I'm tired of being… such a… hindrance…" Her voice grew light with emotion.

Ino bit her lip, her eyes remaining on Sakura, even as Naruto walked in behind her. Naruto gave the girl a puzzled look, wondering why she looked so despaired, and then he looked up and his breath caught.

"Sakura-chan…"

Sakura gasped in fright, spinning on her heel to face the newcomers. She only had time to catch the sorrowful looks on their faces before turning away to hide her tears. Her arms shot up to wipe them away almost violently and she frowned, scolding herself for not noticing them before. Ino stepped to the side as Naruto walked passed her and approached the distraught kunoichi. She sighed, wanting to stay, but she feel more need to leave and let them be alone. It was hard when she knew she couldn't do much. She quietly left the room to help her mother in the front of the shop.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder, but just as his fingertips touched her skin she jerked away and his hand recoiled.

"Stop it," she snapped, her fists clenching again.

"…Stop what…?" he asked gently. Sakura sniffled.

"…Stop pitying me…"

"Sakura, listen to me," Naruto demanded, grasping her shoulders and turning her to him. She kept her eyes downcast, unable to look at his face. "Pity you is the _last_ thing I'd do… Sakura…" He called to her and she looked up at him, their gazes holding. "I'm sorry if it seems… that way. You're important to everyone. We're just worried about you…"

Sakura looked away again, feeling her chest burn.

"I need my own space… I'm tired of being-…of intruding… It'd be better for everyone if I…" she trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

"Sakura-chan, are you sure you want to do something like that? I mean, wouldn't it be better if you just stayed with Ino—"

"Don't try and change my mind," she said firmly, pulling away from him. "Please…" Naruto frowned, already feeling his resolve weaken. She turned to him again, meeting his gaze. "I don't want to be a burden to anyone. I can do this…" Naruto sighed in frustration, running a hand through his tousled blond locks. He knew she was strong, but the body and the mind were two entirely different matters. Sakura couldn't have been able to heal that quickly…

Then again, what would he know? Losing one's parents was a foreign prospect to him.

"I've already talked to Tsunade-shishou about it."

"What did she say?" It was quiet as Sakura bowed her head.

"No."

"You should really give this more thought, and _time_. What if something happens—?"

"I've already decided," she said stubbornly and strode past him, leaving the shop. Naruto sighed again feeling nervous. He had a very bad feeling about all this…

"Sakura-chan, hold on!" he called, and quickly ran to catch up with her.

* * *

Tsunade quickly downed all the sake filling the bottom of her bottle and breathed out in a raw growl. A charming hue of pink blanketed the bridge of her nose as she leaned against the wall just beside an open door. Her eyebrows twitched in agitation and she swore, regretting not bringing her extra bottle… 

"Shishou, I'm finished," came the distressing voice. Tsunade turned with a scowl to her ignorant apprentice, but ended up just frowning softly at the large smile adorning the younger woman's face. She gave a quiet sigh.

"Alright, then…" she slurred, and stepped past Sakura and into the next room. She felt pleased despite herself as she examined the small, yet generous front room of the girl's new home. A nice kitchen to her left and a cozy living room to her right, and straight ahead, the rest of her home down the short hallway. The corner of her lips curled into a slight smile as she turned to Sakura again. The girl looked absolutely ecstatic. "Well, Sakura, it's your home. What do _you_ think?"

"I… I love it," she said, with a little hesitation, but the smile never left her face, and that was genuine. Tsunade nodded and examined the space once again.

"It is nice… Though I still can't seem to figure out why you won't just stay with Ino, of even _me_ for that matter…" Sakura said nothing and her smile became eerily forced.

"It's fine," she retorted, "I need the space. I've been surrounded and watched for the past or so month and I haven't had a chance to… To just sit by myself… and think…" Tsunade could only respect her devoted student's wishes. It was the _least_ she could do. She smiled again and walked toward the front door, pausing only to place a comforting hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"I understand," she said softly, giving a soft squeeze of encouragement. "I guess you're all set then, but just a word of advice before I leave." Sakura looked up in question looking a little frightened at the humorous smile on the Hokage's face.

"What…?" she questioned slowly.

"Just don't forget to lock your windows and close your curtains. Kakashi will be hovering around for a while and you wouldn't want him seeing anything he wouldn't normally."

"Shishou!" Sakura stepped away and shoved her master out the door, blushing wildly. "It's like I walk around my house naked or something!"

"I would hope not." Sakura grew white with shock as none other than her perverted former sensei strode up casually, with one hand in his pocket while the other held his infamous book.

"Kakashi-sensei… What are you doing here…?" Apparently, Sakura wasn't getting any time to herself any time soon…

"Oh, I was just wondering what your new lovely abode looked like and thought I'd get a peek—" His only answer was the swift burst of air that knocked the book right out of his hand as the door slammed in both their faces. Kakashi looked hurt as leaned down to pick up his book and Tsunade turned to leave.

"Hokage-sama?"

"I'm going home. Kakashi…" The grey haired man took on a serious expression as he pocketed his book, listening intently. "She's hiding it…"

"I figured as much," he replied, turning to the door.

"Watch over her for me…" Kakashi turned back the elder woman with a puzzled look as she walked down the stairway and out of his sight. With a quiet breath his eyes narrowed on the unyielding door before him. He hoped that didn't have a hidden meaning…

He knocked on the door and a moment later, Sakura opened the door. Her eyes narrowed and she was about to slam the door again, but he stopped it with just a lock of his elbow. She could've easily forced the door shut, but from the examining expression on the man's face it seemed he was acting serious for once…

"What do you want…?" she asked tiredly, hoping he would just leave.

"Sakura, if you have a problem, what will you do?" She squinted in confusion. That sounded more like a statement than an actual question. She wasn't sure what to say at first, but it suddenly came to her and she sighed.

"I'll tell someone…"

"Very good then…" She growled. She hated being treated like a child. "But remember that I don't like to be bothered so you'll have to use me as a last resort, you got that?" He released the door and turned toward the exit, leaving her standing there with a bewildered look. That was until he turned to her with that _pleased_ face of his. She couldn't see his mouth, but his smile couldn't have been clearer.

"I understand, Kakashi-sensei…" she said softly, smiling herself. It wasn't often she got to see such a side of her perverted former sensei. It made her insides grow warm and she waved at his departure. Her smile increased as he nonchalantly waved over his shoulder and took his time using the stairs instead of just poofing away, as he often did. She closed the door normally, this time, and turned to take in her new home.

It had taken a couple days to move whatever belongings she had—_left_—into this small, but homey apartment provided lovingly by her favorite master. Of course, she had insisted on using her family's money, but Tsunade wouldn't hear it, and she meant that. Instead, she was to keep her parents' small fortune for more important things, and so she did.

As she sat herself on the edge of her large two person bed—and silently wondered why Tsunade made her get it—she found herself looking out the open window to the village landscape below. She felt herself drawn to the window and opened the curtains a little more to see the sun setting behind the far off trees. It was a little saddening to watch and she gripped the heavy drapes pulling them to her chest. She peered behind her, for some reason expecting to see someone, but found that she was alone. Her eyes found the wooden floor and she stood there, allowing the last of the sun's warm rays to bathe her skin.

"I am not alone…" she whispered. It was evening now and with all the day's activities finally finished she found herself to be more drained of energy than she expected. She stepped away from the window, and then stopped. She remembered what her shishou had told her about the window locks and glanced over her shoulder.

She turned quickly and reached out to close the open window, but her vision was suddenly blocked by a dim orange outlined in black. Her eyes grew wide as Naruto landed on the sill, knees bent, with a large smile on his whisker clad face.

"Naruto!" she gasped, backing up and placed a hand over her pounding heart. He suddenly looked disappointed and his lips drew into a pout.

"Sakura-chan, I thought you said you'd wait until I got back before you moved…" She made a face. She'd nearly forgotten about Naruto's brief mission out of town, though she didn't bother asking him what he'd done. She moved onto more important matters.

"What do you want?" she asked sassily, stepping in front of him, one hand on her hip, the other ready to push him off the ledge. Naruto smiled again, his grin as cheerful as always. Must've been a good mission…

"I just came to check in on you," he said in a much softer tone, making her drop her hand from her hip. "How're you holding up?" he asked, moving his legs in to sit on the window sill instead. Sakura turned away and stepped further into the room. Her eyes settled on the bed against the wall in the middle of the room. It was much darker than before, since the sun was almost completely hidden, but she really didn't feel like switching on the bedside lamp.

"I'm fine… How'd your mission go?" She kept her voice low as if afraid to disturb the silence.

"It was good…" he said, nodding. His eyes trailed to his left bicep and he frowned.

"You didn't get hurt did you…?" Naruto smiled sheepishly as she turned to him with a knowing glare. He couldn't hide anything from her.

"Just a scratch. So, I guess I'll be seeing you. Later, Sakura-chan!" he said quickly and spun his legs around to jump away, but he was stopped by a light tug on his jacket. He peered over his shoulder with a quizzical look. Sakura's head was bowed. She pulled his jacket again and he stepped into the room, his sandal clad feet next to her bare ones. He had to bend his neck a little to look at her now. Without her high heeled shoes she was a whole head shorter than him…

"Maybe I should take a look, you know? Just in case…" Naruto shook his head, scolding himself for having such affection for her. It never allowed him to say no…

"Sakura-chan, you should be getting rest." She didn't listen, choosing instead to lead him to her kitchen.

Naruto took a seat, tapping his foot nervously, as he peered around the spacious room. He was a little envious. Her apartment was bigger than his, but he didn't openly complain. He had a feeling she'd either yell at him, or worse… feel guilty. She might even offer to trade, though he wouldn't have minded. He'd end up with a bigger home _covered_ in Sakura's _scent_. He smiled jokingly.

"Take off your jacket." Naruto blushed a bit at her forceful tone, but obeyed and removed his jacket wordlessly. The cool air washed over his exposed collarbone and arms and he instantly relaxed. Sakura appeared at his side and she lifted his left arm, regarding the poorly wrapped bicep with disgruntlement. She glanced at him once, but since he was too busy paying attention to the cabinets she returned to her task. Pulling up a chair she set to work unwrapping the loosely tied bandage. As she expected, the _scratch_ was bigger than he'd let on, but she didn't say anything. Boys were always exaggerating things that made them seem cool and hiding everything else. She sighed and began using her soothing healing chakra to close the wound properly.

Naruto sat with his elbow on the table and his cheek in his palm as his eyes trailed toward Sakura. He studied her face, noting she still looked exhausted, even through her near perfect concentration. He frowned at the sadness that still lingered in her emerald orbs. He still couldn't believe Tsunade had allowed her to stay alone. If anything it made him nervous as hell knowing she'd be alone, even if he wasn't too far away now…

"Are you thirsty?"

"Shouldn't you be getting to bed?" Sakura stilled as she stood, her work complete. She was at his side and he was unable to see her expression, but he knew he struck a cord.

"I don't have a bedtime." Naruto made a face and looked up at her. She wasn't smiling, but she wasn't frowning either.

"Right… Sorry…" He heard Sakura click her tongue and then she was sitting in front of him again, looking him in the eyes.

"No, don't apologize, I guess I was just… hoping you'd stay a while… I mean, I haven't seen you in—"

"Two whole days," he interrupted, grinning smugly. She swatted his head.

"No… It was more like three anyways…" she added, emphasizing the amount with her thumb and index finger. He chuckled.

"Well, it's nice to know I was missed so..." She swatted at him again, but she missed as he stood. "Listen, I really should be getting home. I've got _paperwork_," he paused to make quotations with his hands, "And I don't want Obaa-chan yelling at me because I _neglected_ to _do_ it." More quotation hand motions were made… Sakura stood, suppressing a giggle.

"As long as you get it done, huh? Well, try not to burn her eyes with your bad grammar and even worse spelling." Naruto glared at her, feeling insulted. She only shook her head and pushed him back toward her room, grabbing his jacket in the process.

Naruto hopped onto the window sill and turned, accepting his jacket. He put it on, but left it unzipped and turned to face Sakura with a smile. She smiled back and bowed her head, tucking a lock behind her ear.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" he prodded carefully and she looked up with a pout.

"Stop doing that. I'll be fine. I've always had my own room… I can sleep by myself, okay?" she quickly added, making sure not to make the moment uncomfortable. She moved forward and took hold of both sides of the drapes. "You're making it sound like you'd be willing to stay with me…" she said in a lowered voice with a hint of a grin. Naruto counter by leaning closer, their noses faintly touching.

"What if I am?" He was answered with a smack on the head and he stood, rubbing his abused scalp with an impish grin.

"You're a moron," she said smiling and placed her hands on the sill as he hopped onto the roof of the building just outside. The window ledge came to his collarbone as he looked up at her.

"But I'm _your_ moron," he said, crossing his arms. Sakura's smile faded a bit as he turned and hopped off, waving gleefully. She waved a little in response, but dropped her hand soon after. Instead, her hand moved to her chest where she felt a very uncomfortable throb. The night air washed over her, cooling her skin, and yet she still felt warm. She closed the window and locked it, then closed the drapes until she was shrouded in darkness, save for the small light seeping in from the hallway. A pleasant smile invaded her face and she backed up, chewing her lip gingerly.

"Right…"

* * *

Naruto stood on the rooftops, gazing out toward Sakura's home not too far away. The breeze fluttered through his hair and jacket as he smiled. 

"Right…"

"Naruto." Said boy turned and relaxed as Kakashi sat at a close distance, reading.

"Oh, it's only you..." Kakashi looked up in mock hurt.

"What is it with you and treating your favorite teacher so poorly?" Naruto only chuckled and turned back to his new favorite window. "I trust I don't have to worry about any unexpected bundles of joy nine months from now?" Kakashi smiled a true smile as Naruto faltered, nearly slipping off the roof in the process.

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Shush, Naruto. You'll wake up the village if you keep yelling like that…" Naruto blushed and looked away, shoving his fists into his pockets. "I was only referring to the euphoric smile on your face. No need to look guilty for something I'm _sure_ you didn't do…" Naruto glared, his brain wracking for the meaning of _euphoric_… "Or should I say someone—?" Kakashi was quick to avoid the shuriken that flew his way and landed further up the roof.

"Why don't you go read that book of yours _elsewhere_… I'm busy…" Kakashi chuckled and stood, respecting his request.

"Fine then… Keep an eye on her," he said and departed in a puff of smoke. Naruto said nothing, but a smile had somehow replaced his previous pout and he nodded.

"That's what I'm here for."

* * *

It was so peaceful… 

The sun rested on the mountains and the stream sparkled as blue as the sky. Sakura leaned down and picked a small white flower and breathed in its earthy scent. Her eyes scanned the beautiful surroundings as she roamed about, her bare feet cushioned by the soft grass.

"_Sakura…"_

She turned, wondering where _that_ had come from. As far as the eye could see there was no one, save for her. There was no way she could've heard someone speak that close to her with them nowhere around.

"_Sakura…!"_

Sakura dropped whatever flowers she'd been holding and looked all around her, twisting her body to see in every direction. The voice seemed urgent, as if in dire need of help, and then she saw it… Her eyes widened as they caught sight of a tower of thick black smoke just beyond the trees. Before she knew what was happening, she'd already starting running.

She pushed past branches, ignoring the prickling feeling in her feet as she stepped over leaves and broken branches. Her heart was racing as fast as she was and in no time she exited the forest. A sudden burst of heat engulfed her and she covered her face with her arms in an attempt to protect herself.

She peeked through her arms and gasped at the smoldering wood around her, burning furniture and wall decorations. Her arms lowered slowly and she looked around, tears springing to her eyes.

"_SAKURA!!"_ The scream was so loud she had to cover her ears with her hands. She looked toward the stairs and ran to them. There was a pathway, a parting in the fire that seemed to beckon her. She looked behind her for a moment before racing up, grabbing the bottom of the dress she was wearing to keep it away from the fire.

"Where are you?!" she called upon reaching the midway point. She turned as the stairway did and looked up the second set of steps. There was still a pathway and the faint sound of a struggle was coming from down the hall. She continued, not knowing what she'd find. She was still unsure as to whose house she was in…

She looked down the hall as shadows danced upon the wall. She couldn't tell whom the shadows were of, but she continued nonetheless. The closer she got the more the tears leaked from her eyes and soon she was in a full out run, reaching out to the door at the end of the hall. Even running as fast as she was the door still seemed so far away. She couldn't understand why it was taking so long to run just a couple of feet.

"_SAKURA!!"_

"I'm coming!" she yelled back and soon she was frozen in the doorway, watching as the flames flickered in her eyes. Her mother and father lay on the ground in a heap. Blood covered wherever the fire didn't and the window… She turned to the window and saw a red cloud float out. It was gone immediately after she'd caught sight of it and she turned her attention to the two on the floor. "Mom, dad!"

She stepped forward, but as soon as her bare foot touched the floor, she fell. Everything around her began to get fuzzy and soon blurred to a point where she could no longer recognize where she was. Her arms flailed about, searching for something to grasp, but she found nothing. She hugged herself and shut her eyes, trying to ignore the taut feeling in her stomach.

"_Mommy… Daddy…"_

In a soundly thud, Sakura landed on the floor and shot up, throwing the blankets from her face. She struggled for breath as her eyes darted around, trying to find something familiar. Growing impatient she stood and hopped over the bed, all but ripping the blankets away from her sweat soaked body. She ran to her door and threw it open.

"Mom! Dad!" she yelled and as soon as she reached the stairs her entire body collided with a wall. The force sent her tumbling backward until she hit the ground on her rear. She grasped her pounding temples and looked up, her vision providing a blurry white substance. She blinked a few times and slowly rose to her feet, taking her time so as not to harm herself further. She stood in the hallway, facing a solid white wall with a confused expression and turned to peer down the short hallway.

Suddenly, it hit her almost as hard as the wall…

Sakura slunk to the floor, ignoring the swelling in her head as she stared at the wall, tears escaping her eyes. The dents in the wall began to blur until she couldn't even tell there _were_ dents.

"No, don't do this," she told herself, wiping away her tears. "You're _stronger_ than that…"

She pulled herself up and moved to her kitchen as quickly as she could and retrieved some ice for her head. She made it to her bathroom soon after and grimaced when she looked in the mirror. It looked like she'd grown a _third_ forehead!

"Oh great… As if I didn't have enough of a forehead…" She scowled and placed the bag of ice directly on her head.

She made her way back to her room and plopped onto the bed, her back throbbing in pain. She glanced at the small clock on her bedside and felt even more frustrated than before. It hadn't been more than a few hours, which meant it was only midnight…

"…Shit…" The word seemed a little harsh for the moment, but she couldn't hold it in any longer. With a groan she fell back on the bed, making sure to keep the ice just above her eye.

It was starting to really hurt. In fact, her shoulder was starting to really hurt as well. She sat up and pulled her shirt down enough to see her shoulder. She sighed in exasperation at the large darkening red mark on her joint.

"…Dammit!" she swore even louder, ready to get up and—she paused, her eyes narrowing in sudden realization…

She was a medical-nin…

"Oh yeah…" She decided not to let it get to her as she healed herself, feeling relief once the goose egg on her already prominent forehead was removed. She took a little less time to heal the bruise on her arm and soon she was done, back to where she started. Her eyes roamed the darkened room for an anxious minute before she turned on the bedside lamp. There was still at least five hours until the rest of the village would awaken, but even as tired as she was she just couldn't find it in her to get back under the covers. She thought about a shower, but she was too scared to leave the room…

She sighed quietly and just sat there. She counted in her head, went over memorized mantras and even got up to neatly make her bed. Nothing seemed to be passing the time fast enough, though. She had resorted to lying on her bed on top of the covers and try to get to sleep.

She didn't expect she'd fall asleep so fast…

* * *

**TBC...**


	3. Not So Strong Alone

-- Disclaimer: I only own my imagination and the tools to show them to others via internet…

-- Warning: Unnecessary use of bad words… On the other hand, I added a little action, so look forward to that!

-- Note: I will be **out of town** for a week or so, _so_ I **won't be able to update until sometime later**. I don't know how long this chapter is, but I hope it's long enough for you to to be satisfied anough until I get back. When I get back I may get rid of this note with the next update or I'll just leave it. Whenever I see notes like this with the next chapter already posted it makes me feel awesome. I don't know if that's the case with anyone else, but what the heck? Anyways, I'll **update as soon as I get back** so, see you later and I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Oh, and **don't forget to comment**! The more I see the more inspiration I get and I type like a freaking animal when I'm inspired! Just thought you'd like to know…

* * *

**Naruto**

**Finally Clear To Me**

**By: Plushie-Sensei**

**Chapter 3: Not So Strong Alone**

* * *

"_Mommy… Daddy…"_

Naruto landed on the roof and paused, his ears pricking up in a curious fashion. It was nothing but a silent weekend morning and not very many people were even up yet. With a shrug he stepped forward and tried to pry open the window.

It was locked…

"What the hell, Sakura-chan…?" He pouted and wriggled the window a little. To his surprise, the lock gave and the window slid open. He hopped onto the sill and frowned at the lock loosely latched down. Either she doesn't know how to properly close a lock or that window needed to be fixed. He made a quick mental note and stepped inside, feeling no guilt whatsoever by entering her house without permission. He figured he had the right, after all…

He approached the bed and frowned at what he saw. Sakura was lying on top of the covers, her skin covered in goose bumps. She had a light sheen of sweat covering her face and arms and her bottom lip was softly quivering. That wasn't something he wanted to see this morning…

He quickly pressed a hand to her forehead, ignoring her stirring and low groan, and swore. She was burning up. With just as much haste he pulled her limp body into his arms and pushed aside the covers. He placed her in the bed and covered her as best he could and made his way to the kitchen.

Maybe it was a bad idea to leave her in her own house, if he was going to return after just one night to find this…

* * *

Sakura rose to the warm scent of tea leaves and honey and shifted, feeling hot and uncomfortable. She pushed the covers down and cold air smacked her skin, making her draw them back up only to find herself uncomfortably hot again. She groaned in frustration and turned in the sheets, opening her eyes to see a welcoming sight, smiling at her. 

"Naruto…?" He smiled a bit more as he placed the tea on the bedside table and took a seat on the chair he'd pulled over.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked. Sakura frowned, blushing in embarrassment. She pulled the covers over her nose and said nothing. Naruto chuckled and reached out to feel her forehead again.

"I'm such a dork…" she whined, pulling the covers down so she could breath.

"You're not a dork," he said, pushing her bangs from her eyes. Her eyes lidded comfortably and she relaxed under his cool hand. "But you _are_ irresponsible…"

"Coming from you…" she teased. He chuckled again and helped her sit up, handing her the warm tea. She took it with a grateful smile, but didn't sip it just yet. She stared at her reflection in the dark liquid and frowned in disappointment. It seemed she couldn't do anything right lately…

She sipped the tea finally, ignoring the bitterness. At least it wasn't so bad since there was a _dash_ of honey, but who was she to complain? At least he tried.

"Thank you…" she said quietly, still feeling ashamed of herself.

"No problem, but I don't want to have to do this again," he scolded gently, prodding her shoulder playfully. "As much as I like taking care of you, I don't like to see you sick." Sakura's face grew hot and she sipped her tea again, trying to hide it.

"You're a dork…"

"Coming from you," he countered and she smiled.

"Touché…" Naruto chuckled and took the time to get up and see what was easy to make in the kitchen. He'd already eaten, but he knew she hadn't and decided to play the gentleman. Sakura slowly sipped her tea in silence, occasionally glancing up at the doorway when she heard the light bangs of him sifting through her cupboards.

She sighed and placed the tea on the bedside table again, pulling the covers around her shoulders and then leaned back against the headboard and closed her eyes. Her Inner Sakura was having a field day naming off every stupid thing she'd done lately, and getting sick was a hot topic. Her head was beginning to pound with all the dents to her ego…

Speaking of _dents_…

"Sakura-chan, what happened to your wall?" Sakura opened her eyes as Naruto walked in with a small bowl of ramen—_figures_—looking particularly upset. She took a deep breath and sat up again.

"I… Well, I ran into it…" She pulled a sheepish grin, hoping he'd dismiss the subject, but she wasn't that lucky.

"How'd you manage that?" He sounded aghast, as if he couldn't believe someone could just run into a wall whenever they felt like it…

"I… tripped…" she lied lamely. Oh well, it wasn't as if Naruto was smart enough to—

"Really…?" he asked looking quite exasperated. Apparently Naruto was a freaking genius… Great…

"Well… Yeah. Yeah, I tripped… over my covers…" She should've quit while she was ahead, but she just had to create an entire story, thinking it'd save herself from any more questions.

"How'd you do that…? Your bed is all the way over here…" He looked a bit scared now. Sakura sighed in frustration and gave up.

"Okay, I had a nightmare and I ran to see… my parents and I hit the wall thinking the stairs were there! Jeez!" She folded her arms and huffed, turning her head away with a small hue of blush staining the bridge of her nose.

It was quiet… _Too_ quiet… _Ditheringly_ quiet…

She slowly turned to see what had kept Naruto busy that _entire time_ and she paused, her arms drooping. Naruto had his head down and if it wasn't for his headband, his bangs would've surely hid the guilty look in his eyes. His fingers were curled into tight fists on his knees and he frowned. Sakura placed a cold hand on his knuckles and he quickly took her hand, warming it beneath both his palms.

"None of this is your fault, you know," she said, catching his gaze when he looked up at her. "It's nobody's fault. Things just happen." She smiled and after a few moments he smiled a bit too.

"Sorry… It's a habit…" She giggled knowing that all too well. "It's just hard to watch someone suffer and not be able to do anything about it…"

"Naruto, you're ridiculous." He looked up and she glared playfully at him. "I mean, look. You made me tea and ramen. What more can I ask for?" His shoulders slumped, not much appreciating her humor.

"And _I'm_ ridiculous?" Sakura quickly nodded and Naruto couldn't help but smile at her strange behavior. She pulled her hand back and placed it on his shoulder, patting it a few times before relaxing back again.

Not much conversation followed after that as Sakura finished her tea and ate her breakfast. Naruto had a few things to do and ended up leaving anyways, so she took the time to pry herself from the covers and take a long warm shower.

It felt great on her skin as she washed away the sweat and grime from the previous day and night. Her fever had passed, though she was still slightly warm. She hoped she wouldn't have to use any chakra any time soon. Whenever she wasn't feeling up to par her chakra tunnels tended to act up on her, and sometimes it really hurt…

She had just begun to scrub her scalp when her mind began to wander. Nearly a month and a half had passed since her parents' passing and although her heart was still sore from the experience she truly felt she was getting better. And most of it was thanks solely to Naruto.

She found herself smiling uncontrollably as she stepped out of the shower, drying herself. She secured the towel around her and began brushing her hair. It was almost hard to believe Naruto, of all people, could've helped her so much. He'd always been that weird, over determined blond guy on her team, but over and over again he continued to surprise her. She made her way to her bedroom and her eyes immediately caught the couple of photographs on her dresser. One of her parents and the other of her teammates; the most important people in her life…

She picked up the most current picture, replacing it with her brush and she studied it. Her green eyes roamed over Kakashi and Naruto's faces, trailed over her own—not enjoying the way her hair looked—and stopped on the brunette…

"Sasuke-kun…" Her thumb brushed across the glass over his face and she frowned, glaring sternly, yet softly. "You're such a fool…" she whispered daringly. Her heart gave a painful throb and she looked away, placing the picture back where she'd found it, taking her brush back. She ran it through her damp locks a few more times before grabbing a pair of panties and pulling them on under her towel.

She paused for a second when the apartment shook suddenly. Her eyes slowly moved to the slightly parted drapes and—ignoring the rest of her clothes—she secured the towel more firmly around her and threw back the curtains. She stood silently watching a thick cloud of dust rising into the atmosphere only a few blocks away. Her heart rose to her throat as she peered through the dust, seeing a large _something_ moving and on top of a nearby rooftop stood Kakashi, kunai ready in hand.

There was another explosion and Sakura dove to the floor as a burst of dust rushed above her through the window. She scrambled to her dresser, opening the bottom drawer and pulling out whatever she grabbed first and put it on. It was a white sundress which wasn't what she had in mind, but whatever covered her chest and underwear she supposed… Yet another explosion shook the house and she rushed to the window again.

People were racing from the source of the dust in thick crowds, most of them women and children. She looked back to the dust cloud upon hearing someone cry out and her heart sank, eyes going wide. An enormous lizard like beast ripped into a building and threw its head back, pulling on a bundle of cords which in turn snapped. Electricity shot out and sizzled on the tips of the ripped cords as they headed toward a few people still trying to escape the dust. Sakura narrowed her eyes and leapt from her window, forgetting her shoes and headband and rushed to the people.

A woman carrying a child pulled her other daughter as she ran, looking back in horror at the approaching power lines. She yanked her daughter to her and closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

Sakura cried out as she broke a thick lamp post and swung it toward the approaching cables. They snapped about the post, wrapping tightly around and she yanked, stepping back a few feet as the lizard came tumbling down. She dropped the pole and it shook the ground with a heavy thud. The woman quickly raced off with her children as Sakura fell to her knees, her arms trembling.

Thick red lines trailed down her arms and slowly receded as she concentrated. She swore, wiping her eyes. She really had to be more careful when using her chakra to such extents, and while she wasn't fully recovered… She was becoming just as impulsive as Naruto…

A sudden burst of foul air brought her to attention and she looked up. Her nerves bundled in fright as the lizard growled in front of her face, eyes blazing. It drew in air, its neck going rigid and she shot to her feet, escaping just before it ate the ground she'd once sat on. She raced down the street, thankful that there were no more people running about, but she was sure as hell in trouble. She shot up again as the lizard bit down where she stepped and landed on the roofing. She barely had time to catch her balance before the monster shredded the building under her.

Roof to roof, she hopped until she looked over her shoulder, eyeing the beast wearily. She wondered where everyone had gone for a brief moment before her foot caught on a broken roof tile and she tripped. Her body hit the ground hard and she quickly rolled on her back just as the beast opened its jaws above her. She let out a horrified scream and in the same instant, none other than Kakashi appeared out of _no_ where and kicked the creature so hard in the jaw it came unhinged as it fell back.

Sakura barely had time to catch her breath when she was suddenly swept up and carried out of harm's way. She instinctively grasped the man's thick shirt and closed her eyes, waiting until they landed and he placed her gently on the roofing before him. Her eyes shot open and she looked up uncertainly as Naruto glanced over her body, inspecting for any obvious injuries. He frowned at the marks on her arms.

"They're nothing, just used a little too much chakra all at once," she explained quickly and grabbed his shirt. "What's going on?" Naruto looked over her head and she followed his gaze to the beast locked in a battle against the ANBU as well as Tsunade herself. The beast's eyes were wild as it thrashed about, blood pouring from large wounds. It seemed more sluggish now than it had been before and took on the defensive as Tsunade punched its head. "What is that…?" she asked frightfully. Naruto hugged her closer, his lips ghosting over her hair as he spoke.

"I want you to stay here. Don't try to help, alright? Just stay here." Sakura panicked as he released her and she grabbed his shirt, her eyes wide.

"Wait, what are you doing? You can't just leave me here!" she argued. He grasped her hands and her fingers relaxed, releasing him. She shook her head, pleading with her eyes, but he only smiled, infuriating her. She drew in a breath, ready to swear, insult, _bagger_ him, but he stopped her, placing a kiss on her forehead. Sakura bit her lip, feeling her heart leave its usual position yet again.

"Then head back home, but do not follow me," he murmured, his lips lingering on her temple, "I have to do something… It's my responsibility."

"No, don't, Shishou and the ANBU will handle it," she said hurriedly and he pulled back to look in her eyes.

"Do _not_ follow me." In an instant he disappeared and Sakura's attention instantly shifted to the sorrowful whining of the lizard creature as it tore away from the village and into the forest. She flexed her joints, ready to leap away, but she just couldn't. Her brow tingled in response and she relaxed as best she could as the beast disappeared from her view. The village began to settle and only the low rumbling of the creatures retreating footsteps could be heard…

* * *

Sakura padded through the village streets her eyes roving over the broken windows and few people creeping out of hiding as she passed. She walked alone, stopping in the middle of a small clearing where fruits and papers littered the ground. A few people stepped forward, watching her carefully. 

"What was that…?" came a small voice. A few murmurs and whispers rose up behind her as she stared at the ground, eyeing a small splash of blood.

"It was just like the nine tailed fox! It's the work of a demon!"

"As if we didn't have enough problems… Now we're going to have to worry about _another_ demon!"

Sakura fisted her hands and stomped her foot, releasing a large amount of chakra through her leg. The people quieted instantly as her foot sank into the ground causing a large crater. Her emerald eyes snapped back and she stared down each and every one of the villagers, daring them to say another word. When they didn't reply she walked away, swearing at the red lines coursing, along with pain, down her leg.

She left the company of the townspeople and ended up at her apartment, thanking the heavens it was in the untouched part of town. She hopped up on the roofing, reaching the window ledge and stopped. She glanced back, looking through the parting in the trees, her chest feeling cold. She wanted so bad to see if Naruto was okay, but he'd told her to stay…

She pulled herself into the house and glanced at the dust covering the floor. She'd be more upset over the mess she'd have to clean later, but her mind was elsewhere. She turned to the forest again and frowned, pulling herself onto the ledge again. She stayed, though, remaining on the sill and watching with soulful eyes as the forest remained still. She made a face then and looked at her side, gasping at the heavy blood stain on her dress. She quickly stepped inside and shamelessly drew her dress up, running her hand over her side to check for injury.

She found none…

She spun toward the window again, eyes wide with dread. That idiot was hurt! Her chest stung, her heart yearning for her to follow him, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. Not when he'd asked her like that… She sunk helplessly to the floor, struggling to suppress her tears.

"Dammit, Naruto… Please be okay…"

* * *

A loud poof of smoke swallowed the lizard carcass and as it faded it revealed nothing but a clearing where it once stood. Tsunade sighed, wiping her hands on her shirt and turned to her comrades, nodding in approval to their healthy _enough_ appearances. She frowned, however, when her eyes came across Naruto's rigid form, separated from the rest of the group. She breathed slowly, turning to the ANBU instead, choosing to leave him alone. 

Kakashi, on the other hand, approached the boy, stopping a few feet away. He looked tired and blood was smeared across his Jounin jacket, but he took the time to check on his former student, knowing the impact the battle must've had, both physically and emotionally…

"Yonbi no Sokou…" Naruto muttered bitterly. Kakashi bowed his head as the blond fisted his hands in contempt.

"It couldn't be helped. He was already gone—"

"Don't try to cheer me up!" Naruto yelled, spinning to face the elder man. "I… I didn't know there were more than two…" he mumbled, his voice trembling. "Why do so many have to suffer because of those damn demons…? Why do they have to be sacrificed like that? They didn't even have a choice! It's not FAIR!!" Naruto's ranting trailed as Kakashi stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on the younger boy's head and pulled him forward, hugging him tightly to his chest, despite the blood.

"You're right… It's _not_ fair…" he said bitterly. "But that's life and you're just going to have to deal with it. You _can't _save everyone, Naruto. You _can't_…" Naruto buried his face in the elder man's vest and drew in a sharp breath.

"Then what good am I…?" Kakashi was quiet for a moment before he narrowed his eyes, peering down.

"What about Sasuke?" Naruto looked up with wild eyes, backing up at the stern look in the sensei's eyes. "You still have to find him and bring him back." Naruto looked down, fisting his hands again.

"But—"

"And what about Sakura…?" Kakashi dropped his arm and Naruto looked up again, eyes just as wild. "You can't just abandon her… She's alone in this world and you need her just as much as she needs you… You wouldn't give up just like that, would you?"

"Never," he retorted, frowning at his own ignorance. "Not _ever_…"

"Then quit your bitching and let's get back. We've got work to do, making sure everyone's okay." Naruto nodded and allowed Kakashi to get a head start, taking his time a moment longer.

How could he have been so neglectful? His teammates were always priority in his mind, but after battling a fellow Jinchuriki… More like the Bijuu itself… The Yonbi no Sokou, four tailed lizard demon… He wondered just how many helpless infants and seal performers had been sacrificed to capture such terrifying creatures…

It did him no good just wondering. He shook his head, trying to dismiss his thoughts, and leaped off, following his comrades back to the village.

* * *

Sakura sat in the Hokage's office, keeping to herself as Tsunade and Shizune went through various documents on her desk. She fiddled with her fingers impatiently waiting for someone to walk through the door. She was told if she waited long enough, Kakashi and Naruto would come by, since both wanted information, and they wanted it _now_. 

Sure enough, a knock resounded on the door and Tsunade beckoned them to enter. Sakura remained seated, telling herself not to get her hopes up. It was very possible it wouldn't be either one of them. Her doubts were soon quelled as Kakashi, followed by Naruto, strode through the door. Ecstatic, she prepared to hop to her feet, but she stopped as Naruto marched up to the desk, slamming his palms on the table.

"Tell me what the hell is going on!" he demanded. Tsunade merely dismissed his over reactive tone and continued sifting through her papers.

"You tell me. You're more than likely to know more than I do."

"Don't play games with me! I know it takes a lot of emotional distress to cause a Jinchuriki to freak out like that. Something must've happened to have it attack the village. Have you talked to Ero-sennin at all?"

"No, I haven't. I haven't seen him." Naruto swore, bowing his head in frustration. Tsunade glanced at Kakashi, catching his eye and peered over at Sakura, motioning for him to do the same. The elder man eyed Sakura with a guilty expression as she sat, curled into herself by the window, trying to ignore the others in the room.

"Now what…?" Tsunade rolled her eyes at Naruto.

"I think you have bigger things to worry about. Your house for instance…" Naruto's head shot up and he paled.

"Why do you sound so cheery while saying that…?" he whined. Tsunade only smiled.

"Well, you'll need some place to stay, and you're sure as hell not going to stay with me… Maybe if you behave yourself, Sakura will let you sleep on her couch. I hear it's quite comfortable…" Naruto stood up, his hands dropping from the desk to his sides and he turned, his eyes catching the pink haired kunoichi sitting in the corner, peering out the window. She caught his eyes for a brief second before looking away and moving her body to sit more properly on the window sill. Naruto glanced at Tsunade with an irritated glare and left, allowing Kakashi to step up and converse more civilly with the Hokage.

Naruto advanced toward Sakura and as soon as he was close enough, she pushed from the window and threw her arms around his neck. She hugged him fiercely as he hesitantly drew his arms up to hold her middle protectively. He pressed his nose in her hair, breathing in her scent as it subdued his qualms.

"Why do you always have to be so reckless…?" she whispered, her brow knitting in anger. Naruto held her more assuredly, closing his eyes.

"When it comes to your safety nothing else matters…" Sakura sniffled, quite aware of the situation, but she didn't want to pull away. She couldn't. Never in her life had she felt safer than she did now, with Naruto's arms around her. It brought tears to her eyes, but she fought them back.

Reluctantly, she pulled away, letting her hands grip his shoulders, just to stay close to him. She quickly wiped her eyes and looked into his, feeling relief that he was okay. She looked down then, at the large blood stain over his stomach.

"Don't worry about it," he said quietly, "I already got it taken care of…" Sakura only nodded.

"So, Naruto, have you got yourself a place to stay for the time being?" Naruto turned to glare at the pigtailed woman over his shoulder.

"He'll stay with me," Sakura interjected, drawing Naruto's attention back to her. Tsunade nodded and returned to the papers littering her desk, dismissing all unwanted personnel to leave her be. Blushing, Naruto and Sakura separated and they followed Kakashi out the door.

"Sorry about your dress…" Naruto said as they strolled down the hallway. Sakura smiled, examining the stain.

"It's alright. I hate this thing anyways…" They said no more as they proceeded out of the building.

* * *

Sakura sighed in relief as she finished cleaning up her apartment and stored away all her cleaning utensils. She peered into the living room and smiled. Naruto sat on the couch on top of bundles of blankets, in a pair of loose pants, watching TV. She stepped inside and instantly, all his attention turned to her and he smiled. 

"Are you comfortable?" she asked as she closed the window. Naruto nodded, grinning madly. She giggled and shook her head before heading back toward the kitchen.

"Sakura-chan…" She stopped and turned in the doorway to face him. Naruto breathed in and out and stood. "I hope I'm not bothering you by staying here. I mean, my house is sort of… well, it'll take a while to fix it and all. I could always look for another person to bother if you mind." Sakura stepped up to him and sat him back on the couch, smiling at him.

"You're ridiculous, you know that? You can stay here as long as you want. We're a team, remember?" Naruto nodded guiltily.

"Yeah…" Sakura nodded and leaned forward, kissing his brow. She could feel his shoulders twitch under her palms and she smiled against his temple before pulling away to look at his face. He searched her eyes, looking hopelessly lost as her smile dimmed a bit. Her heart began to pound painfully against her ribcage and she gulped lightly, her throat suddenly dry. Her lips quivered.

Why was she feeling this way all of a sudden? It was almost like the very sight of Naruto sent her heart in a tailspin, but it was weird. She thought back to her picture, of Naruto, and her, and Sasuke… She'd told him she loved him, so now what? It seemed so wrong to think of anyone other than Sasuke with such emotion, but…

Sakura released the breath she'd been holding as Naruto bowed his head and pressed his scalp against her stomach. She was about to push him off with a silly grin, but she couldn't bring herself to do so after he released a slow, shaky breath.

"Naruto…"

"Why can't I save _everyone_…? _Everyone_ deserves to be happy, right?" Sakura shook her head and pulled away to kneel before him. He closed his eyes, but he couldn't hide his pain. She pulled his head to her chest and hugged him, hoping it would help at least a little. He grasped her shirt and buried his face in her bosom. She would've blushed, but he was in pain, and the worst kind of pain…

"I don't know what to say…" she whispered, running her hand over his wild blond mane soothingly.

"Then don't say anything," he retorted, gripping her with more force. She nodded and held him, trying to ignore his quiet sobs. She really felt for him… She didn't know much about the situation, but she knew it hit close to home. Naruto always tried to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, disregarding anyone who tried to share the blame. It was in his nature to protect, but sometimes he tended to take it too far.

Sakura bowed her head, resting her cheek on his hair. If all he wanted was for her to hold him, then she would, it was as simple as that.

"_But what about Sasuke…?"_

She bit her lip, holding Naruto tighter. It was Naruto who needed her now. It was always Naruto…

_And she needed him…_

* * *

Sakura turned back as she switched off the lights. The TV was shut off and Naruto lay asleep on the couch under the blankets. His sleep was peaceful at least. He wasn't frowning, though he wasn't smiling either. As long as he was getting his rest, it didn't matter. 

She quickly switched off all the lights and got to bed, pulling the blankets up to her chin. She lay there quietly for a while, listening to his faint snores every now and then. It was actually quite soothing to hear him, even though he _was_ snoring. Just knowing he was safe was enough to calm her.

"This is getting outrageous…" she whined to herself. She turned to the window, a faint hue of blush revealing under the moonlight, then grabbed a pillow and buried her face in its fluffiness. "Great, I'm probably going to dream about him…"

Her eyes traveled to the picture of her parents on the nightstand and she smiled a bit wearily. Her eyes traced the contours of the gleam on the glass and she sighed, resting on the pillow again.

"I think… I think I love him, mom…" She closed her tired eyes to hold back her tears. "I think I really love him…" She buried her face in her pillow and hoped to the high heavens that Naruto was too deep asleep to hear her…

* * *

A sharp slap of thunder echoed through the village, jolting Sakura to her senses and she sat up with a quite gasp. Rain pattered against the window with so much force she had to get up to make sure it was actually _rain_. Upon opening the curtains she saw nothing but darkness in the sky, think black clouds carrying the promise of a lot of rain. Already puddles were beginning to form on the dirt roads making up the city and several people were still cleaning up what the lizard demon had destroyed. 

She sighed, her breath fogging against the glass for a moment before she turned and pulled on a robe. She headed toward the kitchen, not able to sleep anymore. If she had another nightmare she feared she'd become an insomniac…

As noiselessly as she could, she made herself some hot tea and took a seat at the table, turning on only the cool lighting under the cupboards. From her position at the table she could see clearly into the small living area and watch Naruto as he continued to sleep soundlessly. Another shock of thunder made her shoulders jerk and she placed the tea down so as not to burn herself. Normally thunderstorms didn't scare her. She knew the mechanics of a storm and what it was and wasn't capable of; a little thunder and a lot of rain.

She shook again with the next rumble and bowed her head, trying to keep calm. Her head and stomach hurt and she was still a little shaky from the bad dream she'd had, but luckily the tea was helping. Naruto made a noise and turned in his sleep and she glared. He was lucky he could sleep through that…

Naruto sat up then and rubbed his eyes, scratched his shoulder and yawned. She remained silently drinking her tea as he watched the storm from the couch, his eyes narrow and serious. He turned to her then and made a face of slight surprise.

"Do you want some tea?" she asked casually. Even though she whispered it still sounded loud. Naruto nodded and she took her cue to prepare another cup while he stood to join her. She concentrated as best as she could so as not to shake when the thunder rolled again, but she couldn't stop thinking about it. Her dream had ended abruptly with a smack of, well,_ thunder_ and she'd dreamt about a storm. Of course, she'd had dreams like that before, when they ended up matching what was happening on the outside, but everything before that was purely uncalled for and unwanted.

It thundered again and she jumped as a drop of steaming water landed on her hand. She swore quietly and paused to calm herself down, hoping Naruto wouldn't notice, but when had her luck ever granted her anything…?

She felt his palm on her back and she looked up at him with a frown.

"You had another nightmare, didn't you?" Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief.

"What…?" Naruto looked at the tea on the counter for a moment, his eyes softening.

"I knew you wouldn't tell anybody, but it's not an easy thing to hide… You don't look so good." Sakura bowed her head in shame. Of course Naruto would catch her… Thunder slapped the earth again and, inhibitions thrown to the wind, she threw her arms around his middle and hid her face in his chest. Naruto smiled, in spite of himself, and held her again.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, blushing when she remember he didn't have a shirt on. Naruto shook his head and leaned against the counter, pulling her with him.

"It's to be expected, Sakura-chan…" he sighed. Sakura peered up at him with a frown and he smiled.

"What's that supposed to mean…?" He chuckled.

"_I'm not a burden to anyone_…" he mocked, smiling at her glare, though it faded when the thunder clapped again and she whined. He chuckled again and pressed his forehead against hers. "I thought you weren't afraid of thunderstorms," he teased and she glared again, pulling away. She chose to ignore his pouty face and moved to give him his tea before sitting down to her own.

"I'm not—EEK!!" she shrieked as the booming became particularly loud and frequent and grabbed a chair, pulling it close to her. She glared at him until he took the hint and sat. He watched in amusement as she glanced around the house as if looking for leaks or something, ultimately paranoid. He wasn't used to seeing her like this, but it made him feel oddly proud. Seeing Sakura act as natural as she would in the comfort of her own home was fun, as well as enlightening, to watch.

For a moment he allowed himself to imagine having to deal with her everyday on that level. Waking up to her in the morning and falling asleep at night beside her, dreaming of everything in between. It was an appealing lifestyle and he knew for sure he'd never be bored. They were both very interesting and active people. In some cases he may not even be able to keep up with her, and vice versa. He smiled, however, thinking of all the wonderful things he could do with her… The things he'd _teach_ her…

Sakura sipped her tea, her eyes narrowed on Naruto's perverted grin. She really didn't want to know what was going on through that dirty little mind of his. Most likely it had to do with him… and her—she blushed—under the covers while the storm raged outside with as much passion as…

She dropped her teacup and Naruto looked up.

"What's wrong?" he asked quickly, placing his own cup on the table. Sakura's eye twitched in disgust and she stood.

"I'm going to bed…" she muttered, eye still twitching.

"Okay…" Naruto nodded and watched as she limped to her bedroom looking about ready to throw up. He made a face of confusion, blinking several times before thunder struck again and Sakura was at his side in an instant.

"Then again, I don't want to leave this mess," she giggled nervously and began cleaning the clutter, while Naruto watched with a smug expression. She was so predictable…

It wasn't long until they both ended up watching TV on the couch, with Sakura too afraid to go back to her own room. She did manage to bring her comforter, though, and it was rather cozy on the couch while the storm carried on outside…

* * *

**TBC...**


	4. Not Quite There Yet

-- Disclaimer: I only own my imagination and the tools to show them to others via internet…

-- Warning: Unnecessary use of bad words and slight violence... Something _amazing_ will happen… I'm obligated to say this, btw.

-- Note: I'm back!! I hope you all enjoy this really long chapter, and there may be a few more errors than usual, so, feel free to say something, I guess… Anyways, my vacation was great and I think I'll just leave up the other note, since I'm too lazy to do anything about it now. I wrote this as soon as I got back which was like… yesterday, so… I'm really dedicated to this story and I want to thank all the reviewers out there whom make me enjoy writing it! Remember to review and enjoy!

* * *

**Naruto**

**Finally Clear To Me**

**By: Plushie-Sensei**

**Chapter 4: Not Quite There Yet**

* * *

Thunder grumbled in the distance as the sun shone through the parting in the clouds. The rain still fell in small droplets, but at least it allowed for daily activity to continue in the village. For some it was just another hour passing, since they'd been up all night, either cleaning up the mess in the middle of the city, or sifting through mounds of information for more _useful_ information… 

Sakura however had better things to do. She was told to only come to work at the hospital when she was feeling one hundred percent ready to work again. She took that as a "Take as long a break as you need, but when you come back to work be prepared to catch up on a lot of missed assignments." She inwardly grimaced, knowing she'd have a lot of work to do, but in the meantime, she was just fine snuggling up to her very comfortable pillow…

She sighed contently as it wrapped a muscular arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. Her palm smoothed over its powerful chest and she breathed in its masculine scent. Mmm, yeah, it was the most wonderful pillow she'd ever had…

…?

Sakura opened her eyes carefully and pulled away to stare into Naruto's groggy face. He was smiling when he looked at her and a yawn escaped his throat as he bid her "Good morning." She pulled an odd expression and turned white when he pulled her into a hug again, apparently not ready to wake up yet.

Then she smacked him…

"Well, that was uncalled for…" Naruto grumbled as he held an icepack to his temple a while later. Sakura offered him an apologetic smile and placed his breakfast before him, hoping he'd forgive her if she fed him. She was right, it seemed, from the way he tore into it. Either that or he was just really hungry…

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm just not used to waking up… like that…" She blushed, wishing she'd never said anything. It was utterly embarrassing.

"S'alright," he slurred through his food, not even glancing at her. She didn't know whether to be satisfied or completely disturbed at how fast the food was disappearing. In either case, she quickly took up her bowl to eat whatever he _didn't_ get his hands on…

Sakura ate quietly and a little slowly. She realized she'd just spoiled the perfect opportunity to cuddle with the man she'd just come to terms with her feelings about… She wrinkled her nose, going over that sentence again… Oh well. The point was because of her impulsive nature she ruined a great moment. One that may not come around again…

That was unless she told him how she felt…

She shook her head quickly, not ready to admit that out loud. It was hard enough to admit to herself. And the last thing she needed to worry about was how he'd react to her feelings. What if he wondered about Sasuke? Then what was she supposed to say? She was over him, right? She bowed her head in defeat. Way too many questions that she didn't have the answer to… If only there was a jutsu that took care of these problems for her…

Naruto had actually paused mid chew to watch Sakura as her expressions changed successively. It was funny at first and kept him amused, but when she began to look down and then just plain unsure he began to worry a bit. He finished the last of his meal and placed his bowl down. His eyes narrowed as she suddenly shook her head again.

"Sakura-chan." She looked up with wide eyes and regained her composure, nibbling at her rice.

"Yeah?"

"Is something bothering you?" he asked, pushing his bowl to the side so he could rest his arms on the table. Sakura looked down, eating a little more of her rice.

"…No…" she said slowly. She glanced up and sure enough, Naruto looked unimpressed. She really needed to stop trying to lie to him. Either that or she needed to get better at lying all together…

"What's bothering you?" It was like he'd completely ignored her brilliant lie. And after all the seconds she'd spent trying to come up with…

Oh yeah… It sucked…

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said defiantly, finishing her bowl quickly before getting up to put it in the sink. She came back to take his as well, but he grabbed her wrist, stopping her. He didn't hurt her, but she ended up having to lean a little to avoid any extreme discomfort. She looked up and inwardly cursed as his closeness. She could never trust herself in these sorts of situations.

"Don't lie to me." It was an order. There was absolutely no room for argument as he stared at her. She stared back, keeping quiet, but he ended up pulling her arm a little more and her nose touched his. She gasped softly, her eyes never leaving his, though she couldn't seem to keep focus. Her mind was getting foggy and she didn't know if it was just her imagination, the look in his eyes. His eyes traveled down for a moment before looking back to her own. She gulped, feeling his warm breath wash over her trembling lips.

It was going to happen again. A chance to…

To have her first kiss… with Naruto…

Her eyes lidded as his closed and she could almost feel his lips, so close to her own…

A knock rattled the front door and Sakura breathed, pulling away a few inches. Naruto's eyes opened and he glanced at the door looking about ready to murder it. He released her wrist and she stood slowly as he turned away, blushing, bangs covering his amazing blue—

"Sakura, open up!" Sakura groaned at Ino's voice beyond the door and moved away, glancing at Naruto once, before opening it. Ino popped in with a large grin and a lollypop in her mouth, reaching out to hug the irritated kunoichi. "Hey, I came to check in and see how you're doing, billboard brow!"

"I'm fine…" she growled. Ino ignored her _stick-up-the-ass_ attitude and peered over her shoulder with a raised brow to see Naruto exit into the living area with an equally frustrated scowl. This certainly raised some interesting questions… Pulling away, she motioned toward the jointed room with a playful grin.

"So… What's Mr._ Never Going to Be Sakura's Boyfriend_ doing in your house so early in the morning…?" Sakura glared her right out the door.

Literally…

"You're right it is early, isn't? So why don't you come back later when I wake up properly!" With that, she slammed the door so hard the entire building shook. Ino had no choice but to leave, flipping the door off on her way out in good humor. Or at least, in _partial _good humor…

Sakura sighed and frowned, her cheeks heating up in both anger and infatuation. It most definitely was _not_ just her imagination when he was that close. If Ino had waited just a _moment_ longer she would've for _sure_ had her first kiss… That damn Ino pig always got everything first, and now she wasn't even letting Sakura have hers at all! If she ever got her hands on her…

"Thanks for breakfast." Sakura turned anxiously as Naruto appeared, zipping up his jacket, fully clothed.

"Wait, where're you going?" He smiled at her and reached past her to open the door.

"I've got a lot of work to do today. I'll busy for a while, so I probably won't be back until tonight." He smiled again, in that weird dreamy fashion, and stepped into the doorway.

"Wait a minute!" she said quickly, grabbing his jacket. Naruto turned and gave her a worried look. She bit her lip, releasing him. "I mean…" She was at a loss for words, so she stayed quiet. Naruto relaxed a bit before placing a chaste kiss on her cheek. Sakura looked up in surprise as he smiled at her yet again.

"I'll be around town if you need me for anything. In the meantime, you should relax a bit! I'll see you later," he said quickly, and walked down the hall with a wave over his shoulder.

Sakura raised a shaky hand to her cheek and gulped. Her entire face felt about ready to melt right off and her cheek tingled terribly. She smiled, albeit wearily. There was a sad look in her eyes as she closed the door.

"He probably has no idea what he's doing to me…"

* * *

It wasn't the nicest day to go outside, but Sakura was in need of groceries and few other items, so she really had little choice. After a quick shower she dressed in more casual clothes than normal and quickly grabbed her umbrella before heading out the door. 

The fresh air was nice and cool against her skin. She felt a little warm, but hoped it was just her taking longer than usual to adjust to the atmosphere. She traveled away from the damage site and headed toward the small shopping district on the farther side of town. With the money she had on her she mused over the idea of buying something cool… She didn't want to waste any money, but she had been meaning to purchase a particularly dangerous looking sword… Just for _looksies_ though.

She giggled upon entering the marketplace and quickly found the fruits and vegetables. She held an evil grin as the shopkeeper bagged the items she picked, knowing full well Naruto would complain about having to eat such things. She failed to notice the shopkeeper's frightened expression.

"Well, if he's going to be staying with me he's going to have to deal with some raw foliage every now and then." She thanked and paid the man and moved on to buy more appetizing foods; meats. She'd just begun to compare a couple of cods when she overheard a small disturbance a few feet away.

"I don't think I can…" She knew that voice.

"Sure you can! You just have to have some confidence!" She knew that voice too. She looked up and sure enough, just around the corner she saw Hinata and Kiba, along with Shino and Akamaru. Hinata was blushing immensely as she played with her fingers, while Kiba prodded her shoulder.

"No… What if he's too busy…?"

"Oh, come on! You won't know unless you try!" Sakura smiled and turned back to her selection.

"How cute… The shy Hinata's in love…"

"I believe Naruto's doing some work for the Hokage at this moment," Shino said, "Maybe we'll find him around there."

Sakura nearly dropped her newly purchased fish. She looked around the corner just as Hinata and the others turned to leave and felt her heart throb painfully.

"Miss?" She turned her attention back to the young shopkeeper and bowed apologetically before handing him his payment and stepping away. She kept her head bowed as she walked toward another shop, trying not to think over what she'd heard so much. It was rather troubling, however, and not even the sword in the nearby window could get her mind off of it.

"Hinata likes Naruto…" She could've sworn she'd known that already, but it came as such a surprise, and all of a sudden. "And now she's going to confess how she feels…"

She stopped in the middle of the street, ignoring the odd, and few worried looks she received. The more she dwelled on the topic the more her heart would throb.

"What if…? What if she tells him…? And he says… Yes…?" Her arm limped and her umbrella dropped to her side, still in hand. Almost instantly her head became cold from the sprinkle of rain and she looked back down the road. If she hurried, she'd be able to catch up to them…

She raced forward, needing to get her groceries home first. It took a little longer than she'd anticipated, and she'd forgotten her umbrella, but she managed to scale the rooftops for only a few minutes before finding the group she'd been looking for. She remained on the roof, ignoring her trembling shoulders as she listened in on their conversation…

"How do you feel, Hinata?" Kiba asked, smiling. Was that a good or bad sign…? Hinata sighed, blushing.

"I feel a lot better now that I've gotten it off my chest…" Sakura flinched, her hair standing on end.

"I think he took it rather sound, as well," Shino added, patting Hinata's back. She nodded and sighed, smiling happily.

"I'm glad everything worked out so well…" A brick hit the ground across the small street and Hinata gasped, looking up.

"What the hell was that?" Kiba asked. Akamaru looked up, his keen nose leading his eyes to the roof. Hinata and Shino exchanged glances and she shrugged.

"Oh well, I'd better get home," she said. Kiba offered her an apologetic smile.

"Yeah, you've earned a rest. I mean, after he said _no_ and all—OW!!" Kiba growled as Shino's fist slowly retreated, though he was still glaring warningly. "Oh…"

"Don't worry about it… It's to be expected…" The boys looked up as Hinata turned to them, her dark locks already dampening in the light downpour. "After all, he could never love me as much as he loves Sakura-san…"

* * *

Naruto wiped the sweat from his brow as he finished piling the boxes in the corner of the room. He turned just as Tsunade plopped into her comfy chair and sighed. 

"Well done, Naruto. You can leave now, if you want." Naruto paused, his eyes searching the floor in a guilty manner. Of course, the elder woman caught his shuffling. "What's wrong?" Naruto frowned, looking as though he'd just killed someone.

"I…" he glanced up at her for a second before turning away. "Have you ever had anyone tell you they liked you…?" Tsunade smirked, growing smug.

"Well—"

"But you really didn't like them like that so you had to let them down easy, but you just couldn't find out how, and of course it had to be one of those shy girls that you don't really know, so it's difficult to know if she'll take it the wrong way or not—?"

"Naruto, shut up." Naruto whined as he took a seat near the window on one of the boxes.

"Sorry…"

"…So what did you say…?" Naruto glared.

"Who said this was about me…?"

"Well then, what did your _friend _say?" He glared again and blushed.

"…I said…" he glanced at her, letting her know he was willing to admit it, "I couldn't return her feelings… I'm already in love with someone… else…" Tsunade rested her chin on her folded hands with a smiled.

"How cute…"

"It's not funny… I've never had anybody like _me_ before… It felt kind of mean to let her down like that…" Tsunade leaned back in her chair and sighed.

"Well, if you don't love her, you don't love her. It's as simple as that. You've already got someone else, so it shouldn't bother you so much." Naruto smiled satirically, his eyelids growing heavy.

"I don't even know if the girl I love loves me… Maybe I should've said _sure_… Why the hell not…?"

"You're an idiot." Naruto didn't bother starting a fight as he remained quiet. "Give Sakura a chance to come to terms with her feelings. She'll soon realize what she should've from the very beginning." He looked up then, with curious blue orbs.

"Realize what…?" Tsunade looked him straight in the eyes, serious as ever.

"That she needs you as much as you need her. You complete each other," she said, clasping her hands in emphasis. "She needs someone to laugh with and to have a shoulder to cry on. You've always been there for her and there _will_ come a moment where she will begin to wonder just who she needed to give attention to all these years."

Naruto listened intently, feeling his inner ear reverberate with his heart beats.

"There will come a time where Sakura will realize that you are the only man capable of completing her… You just have to be patient… She's a genius when it comes to Justus and battle strategies, but when it comes to her feelings she's a little slower than most…"

He nodded and looked down, pulling himself to his feet.

"Please tell me you mean that…" Tsunade smiled softly and looked out to the rain.

"I do… I know my apprentice well… Just don't give up on her yet…"

"I'd never give up on her…" he said slowly. "I'd just start to worry a little…" Tsunade chuckled and stood.

"Well, speaking of which, why don't you go see how she's doing. From what I hear she's been a little under the weather lately." Naruto nodded and with a smile he departed. He did feel like seeing her at the moment…

* * *

Sakura wandered the streets with her head bowed. She was completely soaked, but she made no haste to get dry. Soon, she found herself in front of the infamous Ichiraku Ramen Shop and sighed, stepping under the outcrop. It was nearing lunchtime and the noodles smelled particularly delicious. 

"What can I get you? Oh, Sakura-san, long time no see!" Sakura glanced up and offered a quiet smile as Ayame beamed at her. "What are you in the mood for?" she asked cheerily. Sakura snorted bitterly.

"Just a glass of water…" Ayame made a face, but didn't dare pry, no matter how much she wanted to. Sakura ended up ignoring the welcoming glass of water as it arrived. She had enough dripping from her hair anyways…

_He couldn't have said yes_, she hoped, recalling her earlier encounter with team eight, or more like, _overhearing_ of team eight. She'd heard as far as a happy ending and mentally kicked herself for not staying any longer, but after she'd nearly slipped upon hearing such things, she had to get away to avoid being found out. That Akamaru would've surely sniffed her out if Kiba didn't do so first… She sighed, taking an unnecessary sip of the water, just to be polite. It was free anyways… It made her wonder if they sold anything alcoholic…

"Hey, Ayame, have you seen Sakura-chan anywhere…?" Sakura closed her eyes tightly, feeling a headache hit her out of no where when she heard his voice.

"Um, Naruto-kun… She's right there…" She swore. Why couldn't she be alone for one Goddamn second…? It did surprise her however when Naruto chose to silently sit beside her, not uttering a peep, save for an order of ramen while he was there. She could feel his eyes on her and she didn't know what she'd prefer; him saying something, or remaining deathly silent. Her suspicions were beginning to scare her…

"Why are you so soaked?" he asked quietly, uncertainly. She glanced at him through her bangs and looked away quickly. He had that worried look again. She thought about answering, but every excuse she thought of sounded so stupid. Especially when directed toward him. It was bad enough he couldn't be lied to.

_He _has_ to be psychic…_

"Anything new happen lately?" she asked suddenly. Her eyes sharpened at the surprisingly guilty expression on his face. She suddenly felt bad for prying, but she couldn't stop herself. "What happened…?" Naruto turned to the ramen suddenly placed in front of him and sighed heavily. Her eyes narrowed a bit as he smiled sadly and reached for a pair of chopsticks.

"Well… You know Hinata, right?" Sakura had to quickly grip the glass of water she'd begun to sip in order to stop it from falling. She placed it down with a loud clatter and quickly apologized.

"Yeah, keep going…" She tried her best not to let her worries speak themselves, but she couldn't help but sound a little down.

"Yeah… Well… She came to me today and really surprised me." He chuckled as he began eating his noodles and Sakura leaned back a little, her bangs revealing her eyes.

"…Really…?" she asked. She had to give herself a pat on the back. She was starting to sound like she wasn't worried about what he was going to say, but more curious than anything. Naruto glanced at her for a moment before nodding and returning to his meal.

"Yeah… Actually, I never really knew it before, but she, _apparently_, had a crush on me and… Well, it wasn't easy letting her down, though she seemed to take it surprisingly well." He didn't bother adding she fainted after hearing what he had to say… He said nothing further as Sakura suddenly hiccupped, almost violently, her knee hitting the underside of the counter.

"Sakura-san, are you alright?" Ayame asked, leaning over the counter with a worried expression. Naruto placed a hand on her back, wondering the same thing. Sakura nodded and waved them off, taking a sip of her drink.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, just… Give me a second…" She hiccupped again and coughed a little, trying to clear her throat.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked, keeping his hand on her back. She nodded, smiling at him.

"I'm really sorry…" she said hoarsely, breathing carefully now. Sometimes life was so cruel to her emotions… "_So _that's_ what she wanted_…"

"What?" Sakura grinned nervously, not realizing she was trembling.

"Oh, nothing…" She suddenly felt that headache return full force. It really wasn't a good idea to go out in the rain without an umbrella _and_ worry herself sick. She really was a fool…

She felt so selfish. Here she was getting all worked up and over what? Hinata liking Naruto? He didn't even say _yes_ and her heart was still beating painfully. This was Naruto's life she was talking about. The only one who had any say was _Naruto_. She had no right to be acting so childishly.

She really _was_ the ridiculous one…

It was soon time to leave and Sakura and Naruto headed home—after about twenty bowls of ramen, of course. She didn't bother thinking about what to make for dinner. It was very likely he wouldn't eat anyways, and she just didn't have an appetite. Then again, it wasn't dinner time yet, so he might be hungry later… Or within the next five minutes… Her thoughts clouded her mind so much she actually gasped when Naruto suddenly grabbed her shoulder.

She spun around angrily, threatening to kill him, but her anger faded when he motioned toward the door. Her nose faintly touched the wood when she turned again and she felt more embarrassed than before…

She'd almost run into her own door…

"Oh… Damn…"

"Maybe I should stay here…" he mused aloud, worrying if she'd run into anything else.

"No, no," she said quickly, turning with a sheepish grin. "I'm okay, just a little… foggy in the… head…" She mentally socked herself. "I mean, I just need to take a nap or something. I don't want to keep you from your studying or anything." Naruto nodded, knowing he still had a long way to go. There was so much to be done, he really didn't have time to laze about or preoccupy himself with other worries…

"You're right. But if you need anything—"

"I'll tell someone." She didn't bother getting all upset. It seemed so pointless now. She smiled as Naruto huffed and pointed his thumb at himself.

"You tell _me_!" he corrected, puffing out his chest. In all honesty, he looked silly, but it really was a mood lifter. Sakura nodded and saluted so he had a cue to start breathing again. Naruto deemed his job finished and raised one hand to wave goodbye, but he paused when he suddenly felt Sakura kiss his cheek, much like he'd done earlier.

Sakura landed back on her heels—since he was so much taller tan her—and gave him a bright smile. And just before he had a chance to say anything she slammed the door in face right after saying, "See you later and hope you find something!" She turned and leaned against the door and waited for a few moments until he actually walked away.

Her bangs hid her eyes as she slid to the floor and the room became so silent she could hear her ears ringing. Her Inner Sakura went on a rampage, swearing at missing the chance to kiss him _again_ or tell him how she felt, but Sakura was deaf to everything around her. She didn't bother being afraid of her feelings. They were difficult to grasp, but she was so sure now, it didn't matter.

"I think I finally know what _real_ love feels like, mom."

And the heavens seemed a little less dreary…

* * *

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Tsunade held an expression of pure daring. If the Ero-sennin was lying to her at _all_ she would not hesitate to guillotine his favorite appendage… Jiraiya remained cool, nevertheless, completely serious. 

"My information does not lie. The Akatsuki has set up a stationary base near the village hidden in the rain."

"That's preposterous! Why would the Akatsuki set up a base and remain in a single area? They'd have to know they would be found sooner or later."

"That may be so," Jiraiya sighed, leaning against the wall, "But it could also be an invitation of sorts…" Tsunade sat back, looking concerned.

"Invitation…?"

"It could be a trap. They could've gained some sort of power that gave them enough confidence to remain in a single location. They could actually be daring anyone to try and face them… Either that or they're just stupid…" The Hokage frowned causing unsightly wrinkles. She ran her fingers through her blond locks in frustration before settling her eyes on her former teammate.

"What do you propose we do…?" Jiraiya was silent for a few moments, debating whether or not to give her more information. When it became obvious he was hiding something from the anxious look on her face, he sighed and stood up.

"I've also heard that Sasuke is also in that locale…" A single eyebrow arched in recognition and both sannin turned to see Sakura in the open doorway. Her hand had crushed the doorknob and she was trembling.

"Sakura, what are you doing here?" Tsunade barked, but stepped back when Jiraiya raised his hand, stopping her.

"Sasuke-kun… Near the village h-hidden…?" Her voice trembled, but she didn't exactly look ecstatic. In fact, it was a little troubling, but she looked more apprehensive than animated. Jiraiya narrowed his eyes on her before turning to the Hokage.

"Now's their chance…" Tsunade gaped at him.

"What? What's gotten into you?! That boy is near the Akatsuki and nobody is strong enough to face them now. Not even Sakura and Naruto. As much as their training as progressed I can not allow them to be so near such a huge threat. We don't even know what they're planning."

"Tsunade, it isn't as though Uchiha would bother interacting with them at this point. He's doing his own training now and it'd be foolish even for him to do anything so reckless."

"I said no!" She slammed her hand on the desk in blind fury and winced as it split in two. The room went silent as papers rained upon them, littering the floor. Tsunade breathed and turned away. Jiraiya turned back to the younger woman and frowned. Sakura had released the doorknob and it clanked uselessly on the floor as she backed up.

"So… then what?" Once again, the sannin had given their attention to Sakura. "After all this and it still isn't enough…" She looked up, catching both their gazes. "We have to wait some more… even when he's right there in front of us?"

"Sakura, you don't understand—"

"Why does everyone keep saying that to me?" Tsunade frowned, looking away again. "I'm not an idiot. I can see it right in front of me. We've been given a chance to bring Sasuke-kun home and you don't want us to go because those psychotic bastards are a few feet away!"

"Watch your mouth," Tsunade threatened, turning around again.

"Why don't you trust me?! Naruto and I can do it! We can bring him home and everything will be back to normal! Everything will be better if you'd just let us bring him back!"

"No, it will _not_ and I don't _trust_ you because you don't have the emotional stability to do _anything_ right now!" Even Jiraiya had stepped back at her tone. Tsunade looked absolutely furious, but Sakura on the other hand looked hurt. _Really_ hurt…

"How can you say that…?" she whispered heartbreakingly. She gripped her shirt, forcing her tears back in order to at least _appear_ strong. "After all that's happened and you still don't think I can handle it…?" Tsunade sighed, stepping over the broken wood to sit on her chair.

"Sakura…" Sakura bit her lip, staring hard at her shishou. It was hard to keep still under those accusing brown eyes. "I know that you've overcome something very difficult and I'm proud of you for that, but you're just not ready."

"But, I—"

"Sakura, nobody heals that quickly. _Nobody_…" She could believe what she was hearing. How could she say that? She was so sure she was better… "In any case, we still don't know if Sasuke will actually stay away from the organization, so—"

"Sasuke isn't the type to jump into something without thinking about the consequences. It shouldn't be too much trouble to find him without having to deal with the Akatsuki."

Sakura's eyes narrowed and she turned, her heart skipping a beat as Naruto strode past her and into the room. His eyes focused determinedly on the Hokage and on the Ero-sennin, while both looked weary in his presence. Tsunade's eyes softened and Sakura felt her heart throb. It hurt to get that kind of treatment from her own shishou…

"What are you saying, brat? You don't know that," The Hokage frowned as Naruto stepped closer, looking unfazed.

"I know Sasuke better than most. He's not an idiot. He wouldn't risk his life until he was sure he'd accomplished his goal." Tsunade snorted distastefully.

"Stop trying to sound so smug. Sasuke's business is _with_ the Akatsuki, is it not?" Naruto smirked.

"Of course, but it's not time yet. Trust me…" Sakura wavered, her attention on the sannins' answers. She only waited, not relying on her own predictions. She wanted to know what they would say. Tsunade was the first to visibly relax, but instead of making her feel calm, it made her panic.

_Surely she wouldn't…_

"I do…" Sakura's eyes went wide and she ignored to satisfied smile on Naruto's face. She glanced at Jiraiya, since he was the only one looking at her, and then turned to Naruto feeling bitter… The logical part of her felt he deserved the trust, but her Inner Sakura had gotten in the way again and, even though her feelings were strong, she couldn't help but feel caustic. She clenched her fists and shut her mouth, looking away in resentment.

"_I_ will go and get Sasuke."

_And that was the final straw…_

"…Why…?" Naruto didn't turn and she could no longer see his face. She glared at him, hoping he at least _felt_ it.

"It'd be safer for everyone if I went alone."

"And I stayed behind?" She drew in a breath to scream at them, but she knew it wouldn't help her case, and neither would crying like a baby. Even if she felt like one… "Why do you continue to drag me in the dirt? Why can't you see that I'm capable of helping you bring him back? I'm not twelve anymore. I can handle myself." The room was silent for what seemed like decades, until Naruto turned to walk out.

"I'll leave tomorrow morning… Alone…" Sakura hissed and spun to catch up to him.

"No, you—!"

"Don't… interfere again," he whispered, glancing over his shoulder with narrowed eyes. Sakura froze in her tracks and he continued to leave, exiting down the hallway.

Tsunade sighed heavily and simply observed her mess and Jiraiya could only feel discomfited, making an excuse to exit discreetly out the window.

Sakura clenched her fists again and before she left she directed her speech to her shishou, trying to keep her emotions at bay. They would only hinder her from this point on.

"Sasuke is my teammate too. You can not harbor me forever." Her eyes were wavered slightly as she walked down the hallway ignoring her master's tired frown. There was no room for argument. This was what she'd been training for…

Her parents' death, the loss of her home, and being suddenly thrust into a cold, dim future… When Sasuke had left the first time, the death of Haku and Zabuza, her first mission, and everything in between… Everything was preparing her for this moment. She had overcome her pain and she'd healed well. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but that didn't mean she was incapable of being there. She learned from her mistakes and grew from her losses.

She was just as strong as Naruto _or_ Sasuke, if not stronger, and she would prove it. She had every right to be there. Team Seven just wouldn't be the same without her…

_Right…?_

* * *

"Why don't you trust me?" 

Naruto paused in his steps on the narrow street and released a slow breath. He turned to face her obviously not willing to argue, but from the way she stood there, and the way she was _looking_ at him. He was certainly in for it…

"It's not that I don't trust you, Sakura." She winced, feeling even weirder when he spoke to her without the affectionate honorific. He faced her again and there was something in his eyes. Something that unnerved her…

"Then what is it? Why can't I help you? I thought you said—" Naruto shook his head and turned away.

"I'm going alone."

"No, I'm going with you!" she retorted, approaching him.

"Sakura, stop it."

"I'm not a kid anymore, I can handle this!"

"Sakura," he warned again. She ignored him and grabbed his arm as he began to leave.

"No, listen to me! Sasuke-kun is—"

"Knock it off!"

"No! I care about him just as much as—"

"SHUT UP!!"

A sickening smack echoed through the air followed by a soft whimper. Naruto had barely managed to regain his vision when he realized what he'd done. He pulled his arm back and watched with revulsion as Sakura sat on the ground, holding her face with widened eyes. Through her tussled bangs he could see a small smear of blood on her knuckles.

That was exactly what he was trying to avoid…

He couldn't even grasp the situation. It all seemed so surreal to him. After years and years of vowing to protect her and now… this happens…

Sakura pulled herself up on shaky legs, but remained in control enough not to fall. She winced as she focused some chakra to heal herself, but she was shaking so bad she just couldn't hold it long enough. She pulled her hand away revealing a sharp bruise on her cheek bone, just below her eye. There were still traces of blood on her fingers, but she lowered her hand and wiped it on her blouse, not caring if it left a stain.

"S-Sakura… I'm…" Naruto's heart twisted as guilt filled his belly. She sniffled and again his heart ripped in two.

"I said… I'm going with you… We'll do it together… Like you said…" She looked him in the eyes, ignoring the tears that blurred her vision. "Like you promised…" Naruto turned away, unable to look at her.

"But… So many things could happen…" He shut his eyes and fisted his hands. "Sakura, I… I just can't risk losing you! I just…" Naruto paused, his words and thoughts trailing when he felt her hands on his back as she leaned against him, her forehead resting between his shoulder blades.

"Nothing will happen to me…"

"…How can you be so sure…?" She smiled.

"Because… I know you won't let anything happen to me…"

Naruto opened his eyes and stared ahead. It was painfully obvious that he couldn't keep her from doing what she wished. He never could. He turned around as she pulled away and he gazed at her. Even with so much at stake, even when both his mind and his heart were telling him otherwise, he knew it really wasn't up to him. This was Sakura's life. Not his…

"Sakura…"

"It's Sakura-_chan_ to you…" she retorted, flicking his nose. Naruto could only frown. And after he'd just _struck_ her… "We'll leave in the morning," she said, stepping around him. She wobbled slightly and he began to worry just how hard he'd hit her. He was sure it wasn't _that_ hard. After all, she was still conscious…

"Sakura-chan?" She paused and turned to him, trying to ignore the stinging in her face. "I'm… sorry… for hurting you…" he said miserably, but Sakura reacted much differently than he'd expected…

"Don't worry about it," she said smiling softly. "Besides…" Naruto eyed her wearily. "You hit like a girl…"

Okay… He wasn't sure how to react to that so he merely nodded, accepting the insult. Or it might have been a compliment. After all, Sakura and Tsunade were fine examples of women who didn't fit the stereotypical "can't punch like a male" persona, so… He shrugged it off and decided to leave it alone. From Sakura's tone it was meant to be an insult anyways…

"I'll leave the door open since you'll probably be back late, and if you're hungry just make yourself ramen or something…" She left soon after, though Naruto had trouble letting it go. He still felt as though it was left unfinished and it bothered him. He did realize, however, that he needed to have a clear mind for his… or _their_ mission in the morning and he would have to simply ignore his problems for the time being. It went against everything he stood for but he had little choice in the matter.

Just like everything else in his life…

* * *

**TBC...**


	5. Just So You Know Pt1

-- Disclaimer: I only own my imagination and the tools to show them to others via internet…

-- Warning: I think I'll get rid of this thing until something worth warning you about comes up…

-- Note: I ended up splitting this chapter into two parts, since I haven't updated in a while and I may need a little time for the second half. This chapter is kind of short and it was really hard to write, but I think you guys will be pleased with the results. Now this is only one part so please don't hound me if something isn't fully resolved right away. I've still got time.

I'm really pleased with the turnout of readers, actually, since I'm not the greatest of writers. I try really hard and I liked my stuff so I just wanted to see if anybody else did. I'm not trying to win a nobel prize with any of my stories. It's the reviews and feedback that makes me enjoy it so much. If I could get paid for this sort of stuff then my life would be set.

Thank you and enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

**Naruto**

**Finally Clear To Me**

**By: Plushie-Sensei**

**Chapter 5: Just So You Know – Pt. 1**

* * *

Sakura flinched out of her inattentive state and managed to find herself in the world once again. It was cold and damp wherever she was and she could smell pine and dew hovering profoundly in the air. She finally decided to open her eyes and she was suddenly thrown into a world of dense forest. She could see no sky save for the small beams of sunlight that illuminated the area. She sat on a large branch that had protruded from the earth and waited. For what she couldn't quite remember, until she turned to her side. 

Naruto sat on a tree root similar to hers, but his was much closer to the ground and he merely sat, hands behind his head and eyes closed. She couldn't tell if he was sleeping or not, but she had more important matters to worry about…

Her fingers traced her jaw until they came to a small bandage adorning her cheek. Why she hadn't just healed herself she didn't know, but she just couldn't do it. He'd only struck her and left a bruise and a small cut which was nothing to her. It wasn't as though she _couldn't_ heal herself. She just… didn't want to.

Her hand dropped to her side and she stood, finally remembering why they were stationary in the middle of the forest. It was because they were on a mission and she'd asked for a rest. She could've sworn Naruto had made a face a discontent, but he'd allowed it nonetheless. Maybe due to guilt, which was one reason she left the bandage there instead of healing herself. She had to agree with herself in the fact that it was wrong, but she just didn't listen.

"Are you ready to go?" Naruto asked quietly, still unmoving, eyes still closed. He sounded distant, of course, but who could blame him. They were both standing on unsteady ground, so to speak, and even with years of knowing each other it had never felt more awkward between them.

"Yes," she answered, just as quiet, but he heard her. He stood a moment later and continued his stride in the same direction as before. Sakura followed, choosing to stay a little behind. She didn't feel comfortable leading and felt even worse at his side.

She hated that feeling more than anything… In sense it was probably so weird because of the fact that their roles had reversed. She now had yet another glimpse as to how Naruto felt. Being the _chaser_ wasn't so fun…

Soon her thoughts were distracted by the sound of rushing water and after a few moments of short sprinting over soggy mud and roots she could see a stream to her left. It was quite large and tore through the forest. Its banks were bare of foliage for a few good yards and everything beside it was completely soaked, the rocks eroded. She gulped, thinking it meant it had flooded recently. She wasn't too surprised though, since they were nearing the rain village.

She made a noise when her foot landed on a slippery root and barely managed to make it to the next one without falling face first into the mud sections.

"Be careful," Naruto warned, albeit a little late. She did smile a bit, however. At least he still cared…

"You too," she answered back, keeping her smile. Naruto did not look back, instead choosing to hop ahead, leading the way once again. Sakura sighed solemnly and followed. She decided to pretend she saw him turn and smile at her with that goofy grin of his and give her his infamous _thumbs up_. It made the trip much easier.

The water bunched in white caps as it rushed without care through its route. There were very little places where it was at least a little safe to cross. Unbelievably long tree trunks were thrown on their sides, barely connecting the east and west shores a few good feet above the calmer part of the river further north.

A large natural dam sat at the northern part of the river, which was the reason for the calm waters following, and nearly a mile south sat an unfinished dam. The water poured gawkily through the broken wood in mouthfuls, causing a large portion of the rapids. It was amazing the unfinished dam was still in place from the sheer force of the water that pounded against it.

It sure gave Sakura goose bumps…

The two followed a little closer to the river this time, thanks to Naruto, and the closer they got the more anxious Sakura felt.

"Shouldn't we travel closer to main wood? It's less slippery there after all," she suggested, trying not to let her voice waver so much. She'd almost ran into Naruto when he stopped, apparently surveying the area.

"We're going to have to cross soon."

"What? Why?"

"Because if we keep following this side of the river it'll lead us east," he said turning to her, "And we don't want to go east…" She couldn't help but feel like he was treating her unfairly; like a little kid.

"I know that," she retorted. "I'm just saying we should find… calmer water."

"That's where we're heading…" he said hopping away, leaving Sakura feeling as though someone just dunked her head in the water.

"Oh…" she snorted sarcastically and limply trailed after him. If it wasn't for the gentle look in his eyes as he spoke she'd have called him out by now, but he was trying, _so she believed_. She focused her attention on the water instead since it was the only thing interesting other than Naruto.

It was true; the water became less and less of a burden to her nerves as they ventured upstream and from her distance she could even see one of a few sturdy log bridges. Suddenly, it didn't seem so bad. They hopped right out of the foliage and landed on the hefty bank. It even had a light sheen of grass and moss that attached to the log. It was beautiful…

"Ah, this is great." She stepped past Naruto and knocked on the log. "It's so… stationary," she sighed dreamily and Naruto just couldn't understand why. He narrowed his eyes in confusion and hopped onto the log, catching her uneasy flinch as he did so.

"And why wouldn't it be…?" Sakura snorted.

"Well, of course… Please… I just… don't trust things that…" She puffed out her cheeks, trying to think of something to say and—for the first time during the whole trip—Naruto smiled.

"You make it sound like you're afraid of water…" It took Sakura a moment to get over his smile before she slowly released the air in her cheeks.

"No… What? What makes you say that?" she asked, giving him an incredulous look. He mirrored her expression.

"Well then let's go." He began walking down the—_very far looking_—log and Sakura gulped. It took her a little longer to gather the courage to get on, but finally she pulled herself up and regained her composure. The log was steady, but even so, her distrust in the object made it difficult to keep balance.

She didn't hate water… She peered down stream and could faintly hear what sounded like thunder. She gulped. No, she didn't hate water. She just didn't fancy the thought of falling into something that… wild…

Her eyes trailed to a small branch floating in the water and even though the water looked calm, the current was pretty strong. The branch floated on by before she even had the chance to take a few breaths. She looked ahead. Naruto was halfway there, but should've been farther. He must've paused and waited for her at one point, meanwhile, she was still trying to slow her heartbeat.

* * *

Somewhere upstream, the finished dam stood attention, keeping the rapids at bay. The branches and mud were firmly packed and overall it was well-built. There was, however, a small leak in the dam on one side as a rather large branch was kept still by a much smaller one. Also on that side a rather unnatural looking shadow drifted in, dangerously close to the loose branches. A single hand rose up and hovered over the twig with threatening stillness and in the next instant it was gone. And the stick went with it. 

Though it seemed nothing happened as a little more water trickled down than normal. The larger branch seemed stuck and even with a larger hole, not much more water leaked through.

* * *

Naruto paused again and turned around cautiously watching as Sakura finally made it halfway. She'd stopped for a moment to both regain her breath and make a little cheer before continuing again. He was at the end, only a few feet away from the bank and feeling confident she didn't need to be watched anymore, he carried on. 

He stepped on solid ground and suddenly felt a rush of wind along his body. Before he had the chance to act he ended up upside down, suspended from a tree, swaying with a horrified expression.

"What the hell is this?!" he yelled, feeling utterly offended. Though, he felt more _stupid_ than anything since he'd once again fallen into such a trap. And he believed he'd improved…

Sakura watched him in amusement as she continued along. It sure made her feel better to see him act so idiotically for a change. Just like the good old days…

"Naruto!" she called in good humor, "Stop hanging around! We need to get going!" She could barely suppress her giggles when he started to weep in embarrassment.

"Sakura-chan, please…" She only stepped onward, getting her fill of his antics, until he told her to stop. "Wait, just stay there," he warned looking from side to side. Sakura stopped, but it was clear she didn't want to.

"You want me to _stay_ on this thing? I don't think so…"

"It may be a trap! Just stay put," he explained, grabbing a kunai to cut himself free. He figured why waste chakra with a Kage Bunshin…? Sakura gulped uneasily glancing upstream toward a funny sounding noise. Standing over the open water was nerve wracking and now she was hearing things…

"Naruto, what if it was just an animal trap or something?" He landed on the ground and held his kunai at his side, eyes still darting around. She could've been right and she could've also been wrong. He didn't hear or sense anyone in the vicinity and stood, his arms limping at his side. Maybe it was just a trap for animals…

Sakura, growing impatient, began walking forward, huffing about how paranoid _he_ was, but once again her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pain on her damaged cheek and right calf. She yelped in fright, catching Naruto's attention as she held her face.

"Sakura-chan, what's wrong?" Sakura ignored him and looked around for any other form of life. She didn't find any, but she did, however, find something scarier…

Two kunai protruded from the smoothed over bark a few feet behind her, a smear of blood on the one closest to her. She looked down at her calf and swore at the rather deep gash as blood stained her shorts. Naruto was at her side in moments, kneeling to inspect her wound.

"It looks deep," he said, his fingers pressing the skin around the wound. She winced and was about to pull away, but her senses managed to catch something coming and in an instant she ducked, barely missing another onset of kunai. They shielded themselves, luckily missing every weapon they felt coming.

"Let's get out of here!" Sakura said, pushing Naruto up. He rushed off and she did the same, save for the actually _going anywhere_ part. She seemed to be stuck to the tree trunk and turned to see what the problem was. She gave an exasperated whine at the kunai keeping the fabric of her skirt pinned. "Naruto!"

He stopped and turned, making the same face and rushed back as Sakura struggled to get up.

"Oh, what else could go wrong…?" He'd barely reached her when he stopped again, hearing an odd thunderous noise close by. They exchanged worried glances and looked downstream, but that wasn't where the sound was coming from…

What sounded like a smack of thunder had caught their attention from _up_stream and was formed in a rush of unrestricted water that charged toward them in an awful hurry. Sakura managed to tear her skirt just as the log lifted off its base and for a brief moment she was suspended in midair before plunging into the freezing water below.

* * *

The dark shadow stood not too far away, hidden rather well as he watched the pink and blond heads struggle for breath.

He didn't smile, however, but once he deemed his job well done—for the time being—he disappeared in a flash of red smoke…

* * *

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled as she lifted her head up. Her arms flailed in the water, keeping her up for the time being. She looked all around, but couldn't seem to find him anywhere. She called again, coughing when water filled her mouth and dragged her under. She struggled to reach the surface again, but her arms were beginning to get tired and she was wasting a good portion of her energy on_ fear_ alone.

She had almost lost her hold on her breath when a powerful arm locked around her middle and dragged her upwards, breaking the surface of the water. She gulped in air and sputtered while Naruto focused his energy on keeping them both above water. He did his best to steer them closer to the shore, but the current was so strong he barely had enough energy to keep them from drowning. Sakura maneuvered in his arm until she had a good hold on him as well. She opened one eye to peer around and she caught sight of the unfinished dam downstream, rapidly approaching.

She yelped when Naruto suddenly spun around, knocking away a kunai with his bare hand. It had cut him, but he didn't seem to mind too much. It sure beat getting it through the head… Sakura turned back toward the dam and couldn't believe how quickly it'd reached them. She yelled out, but before Naruto could turn his back collided with the locked branches and Sakura was once again dragged under the surface.

She couldn't see anything around her. She'd closed her eyes and refused to open them until she broke the surface again. Her chest felt as though it was shrinking and it was getting harder and harder to breath. The pressure of the water was making her head pound painfully and for a moment she was sure she was going to die.

Her feet had touched the river bottom and she managed to get a hold of herself long enough to push upward as hard as she could. A small crater was formed beneath her feet and she shot to the surface and just in time. She gulped in air once again and looked around. She didn't see Naruto, but as luck would have it, she found something that made her heart skip a beat. As if it wasn't enough she hated the water, she was now on her way toward a waterfall…

With all her strength, she paddled away from the falls, straining even her chakra levels, but one distraction led to her downfall. Naruto was heading toward her, face down and unmoving. She stopped her paddling and suddenly her legs were yanked downward. Only for a few seconds was she able to stay conscious, but once her body hit the water below her mind went blank…

* * *

He wasn't used to behaving this way. A part of him hated what he was doing because it reminded him too much of his past relations. Acting like his _best friend_ wasn't a priority in his life, but if it got the job done he didn't care. He was an avenger, so was his nature to do whatever it took. Sasuke had taken a big risk leaving Orochimaru even if was only for a while, since the snake sannin had become so paranoid over the past years. Even so, he wasn't the type to really care what the beast had to say anyways. He was just glad to get out of that monotonous compound. 

He walked along the road in broad daylight, ignoring the few people he passed by and the girls whom seemed to stop just to drool unattractively as he passed. It was like a constant reminder of his days at the academy. One such girl was plaguing him just as much as his polar opposite.

_Sakura and Naruto…_

He eyed the road wearily with every step he took. If he was able to complete his goal, if he managed to succeed in his mission, then he would finally be able to return home. Of course, he had his doubts that they'd want him back and he was even beginning to doubt Naruto wanted to be his friend anymore, but something deep inside told him otherwise. He knew Sakura would still accept him…

His stride subsided and his body grew tense as he neared the forest entry way. Even with a clear path it felt ominous…

"So, when do you plan on heading back, Uchiha…?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes, forcing himself not to behead the bothersome intruder. He didn't look up, either, choosing to ignore him disrespectfully.

"What's an idiot like _you_ doing here?" The man in the tree snorted in contempt, and then chuckled, catching the boy's attention.

"I'm just doing a job well done…" Sasuke didn't trust the man's tone, not that he ever trusted him in the first place.

"I don't believe I recall you getting a mission from Orochimaru…" he said dangerously low and the man snickered.

"That's because I didn't…" Sasuke glared at the man, but a smile snuck onto his face.

"Oh? And what do you think he'll say when he hears you're doing stuff behind his back?" The man didn't seem fazed by his threat and it worried him slightly. Only slightly…

"Well…" he said slowly, "I don't think he'll be nearly as interested in me as he would be in hearing your agenda, Young Uchiha…" Sasuke turned away.

"And what would you know of my agenda…?"

"Don't act so snippy. Everyone knows of your plans of revenge…" He chuckled at the nervous look in Sasuke's eyes. Feeling the deal was sealed, he continued. "I grow tired of the same routine as you do. I was given a chance for change when I was asked to get rid of a few loose ends for someone very powerful. By doing so, I've just bought myself a few more years to my lifespan…"

"That's wonderful… I wish you luck in finding any significance in your _fortune_…" Sasuke began to continue his trek into the forest, though the uncomfortable feeling didn't go away.

"My fortune? Oh, dear boy, I believe I've given you fortune as well. After all, dead weight does seem to become heavier the longer you carry it…" Having heard enough of the man's gravely voice, he threw shuriken, but the man was gone…

It wasn't like him to behave so nervously, but something told him something was wrong. He looked forward, feeling weary again. He was certain now… Something was very, very wrong…

* * *

Sakura opened her eyes slowly, blinking the water away so she could see. It was dark and she could hear crickets right next to her, along with owls and the trickle of the stream. She pulled herself further up the bank, dragging her legs out of the water. She had little if no strength left in her, but she had a mission and a purpose. She just couldn't give up now. She was able to stand on unsteady legs and quickly went to work, searching for her partner. 

"Naruto…" she called, quietly. Her throat hurt from all the water she'd swallowed, so she couldn't call very loudly, but she had to try. "Naruto," she called a bit louder. She heard something then, and ran on wobbly legs upstream, toward the waterfall. The falls were still pretty far away when she climbed over the log that once served as a sturdy support system. There was only half of it left now…

Once she'd turned around she came to a stop, finding who she'd been looking for…

Naruto was lying on the bank of the river as the last bit of sunlight touched his face. It was slowly fading away and she hurried to his side, fear bubbling in her stomach. She kneeled before him and pulled him away from the water. He turned out to be very heavy, but she made it and looked into his blank face.

"…Naruto?" she called, her voice cracking. Her hand went to check his pulse. It was weak, but it was there. The only problem was he wasn't quite breathing. Sakura knew what she had to do and, after pulling his jacket and backpack aside, she set to work to make him breath again.

One… Two… Three… Four… Five…

She pressed against his chest and, ignoring her own pounding chest, she turned to his face, pinching his nose and opening his mouth. She decided not to count it as a first kiss and covered his mouth with her own, breathing into him once, then checked. She breathed again and returned to pressing his chest.

For five grueling minutes she continued, planning on doing so as long as it took, but the longer it took, the harder it was to breathe properly. All while trying to get him to breath again her chest was restricting on her. She was trying so hard to fight back those tears. They would only mean she was going to give up and she just couldn't do that.

She breathed into his mouth again, but had to pull away, unable to hold back the sob that'd rose to her throat. She looked up into his face for a moment, sobbing again. This could not be happening…

"Naruto… Get up, right now…" she demanded. "We've got a mission… You… You can't leave me alone… Not here…" She looked around for a moment and made herself paranoid. It was dark and she could see nothing beyond the trees. She looked into his face again and grew cold…

She closed her eyes, forcing a few tears out and leaned down, placing a kiss on his cold lips. She stayed there for a while, holding onto him, tears seeping through her shut eyes…

"Sh… Shakura…" Sakura opened her eyes and watched as his lips moved and he mumbled. She pulled away as his eyes blinked open and he coughed, water draining from his mouth. She helped him turn over and all at once her world was shaken again…

"Naruto, you're alive…" she said quietly, still crying. He lay on his back and breathed, refilling his lungs, then turned to her and looked at her face. She held back a sob and he raised a tired arm to wipe away her tears, though it only served to make more.

"Are you okay…?" he asked, as if she were the one who'd almost slipped away. Sakura studied him for a moment before bowing her head.

"…Oh God…" she whispered, hugging herself. Naruto pulled himself up a bit, gazing at her shivering form worriedly.

"Sakura?" She choked on a sob and gave a shuddered breath.

"I hate it when you do that…" He raised a single eyebrow and she looked straight into his face, making Naruto's heart sink. It was like the funeral all over again.

"Do what?"

"…When you teeter on the edge of death… right in front of me… You were right, I should've…" she wailed miserably, clutching herself again. "I… I can't take it! I've already lost my parents. I don't want to lose anyone else important to me… Especially you!" she said, looking up again. "And I'm sorry, okay! I shouldn't have acted to stupid and tried to come, but I just had to!" She paused to breathe and force her tears back again.

Naruto turned away for a moment, thinking himself. She shook his head, ready to speak and turned to her. His vocals were cut off, however, when Sakura pressed her lips against his almost bruisingly.

He winced, drawing in a sharp breath and watched her face. Her eyes were shut tightly, tears still seeping through. She moved closer and he found himself kissing her back, lost in the moment. His hand found her neck and he pulled her even closer, hardly able to believe what he was doing. How he'd longed for this moment all his life…

Her lips seemed to fit against his perfectly. She wasn't the best of kissers, however, but he was quick to take charge, guiding her. He could feel her fear and sorrow with every touch of their lips and kissed her with more force, trying to comfort her. Annoyingly, his mind was beginning to clutter as to _why_ she'd kissed him, but he wanted no part in it and pushed the thoughts aside. He pried at her lips, seeking to go further, but she suddenly pulled away, burying her face against his damp shirt and clung to him tightly.

Naruto could only embrace her gently and bury his nose in her drying hair. It was cold, dark, and they were both wet, but he couldn't find it in him to get up. All he wanted was to be able to comfort her, to _be_ with her…

"You were right… I wasn't ready…" she whispered desolately, gripping him tighter.

"Sakura-chan, we did not come this far for nothing." She pulled away to look into his eyes. They held just as much determination as his words. "We're on a mission to retrieve Sasuke and we have to push our fears aside so we can achieve that goal. I know it's difficult for you," he added quickly as she was about to protest, "But you don't have to worry, because I'll be right here with you…" She wiped her eyes.

"But what if you're not? Then what am I supposed to do…?" Naruto sighed quietly and gently cupped her cheeks in his palms, pressing his forehead against hers.

"That's not going to happen. I promise, but you're going to have to trust me, Sakura-chan…" He held her gaze for a moment before she nodded.

"I trust you."

"Good," he breathed. "Now we should get going. It's dark so…"

"We should rest…"

"…Right…" Naruto stood and helped Sakura up, but all at once his back began to really hurt. He winced, but was quick to stop her from doing anything about it. "It's just a little stiff," he explained, but she helped him walk forward anyways, despite his protests and after a while, he fell silent, allowing her to help him into the forest to find a safe place for the night.

* * *

The fire cackled quite loudly, ringing in Sakura's ears, but it was only because it was so silent outside. Even the crickets were quiet. In fact, if it weren't for the fire the silence would've been deafening. 

She found it hard to sleep and sat, awake but tired, watching the sparks float into the sky along with the smoke. Naruto had fallen asleep hours ago and snored lightly at her side. It was almost unfair, she was so tired, but sleep just wouldn't come to her, so she just sat there, watching the fire…

Her eyes continuously trailed to Naruto's sleeping form and more and more it bothered her. Not so much his being able to sleep, but the odd pain in his back that he wouldn't let her see. Her brow knit and she bit her lip, wanting to know if he was really alright. He'd even resorted to lying on his stomach, so there had to be something wrong. She surmised it wasn't an open wound, since there was no blood to be found, but there was certainly something wrong.

Sighing, she carefully pulled the fold of his sleeping bag down and inched up his shirt. She bit back a gasp at the sheer size of the bruising on his lower back. There were several mars forming larger ones here and there and one long dark mark running horizontally that looked particularly painful. She gulped, knowing this would either make her extremely exhausted or make her pass out and find herself in a bit of trouble the next morning…

"Sakura…" he groaned, his eyelids fluttering opening. She shushed him and held one hand over his head, brushing his loose bangs from his face. He mumbled something incoherent and eventually slipped back asleep. She smiled, touching his face a moment longer before returning to her self appointed task of healing him.

The chakra emptied from her system and the bruising faded, along with the uncomfortable look in his face. He relaxed peacefully and the muscles settled to a point where he looked like he was made of jelly. She giggled a little as his snoring grew louder. Obviously he was going to have a great night's sleep.

Soon the bruising was only a memory and with the last of her strength she collapsed on her sleeping bag, finally able to rest, and with a smile on her face…

* * *

**TBC...**


	6. Just So You Know Pt2

-- Disclaimer: I only own my imagination and the tools to show them to others via internet…

-- Warning: Violence and something my sister said was "Stroke Worthy." Hmm...?

-- Note: SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG!!!! My Computer is now in the hands of another, but! I have a brand new LAPTOP so I'll be able to write again!!! At long last the chapter I've been waiting to write has come!!! Be prepared to be thrown for a loop!! I'm sorry if the chapter is short. It seemed short to me since I haven't had much time to write it, but I still think you're going to like it!! Also, there may be some gramatical errors, please excuse them, I was in a hurry. Anyways, I hope you can forgive me for taking so long and I hope you like what I did in just a few hours!!!

Thank you and enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

**Naruto**

**Finally Clear To Me**

**By: Plushie-Sensei**

**Chapter 6: Just So You Know – Pt. 2**

* * *

_  
"Sakura…? Sakura-chan…? Are you alright? Can you hear me? _Sakura!" 

Sakura jumped, her eyes snapping open in fright. Her head hit the pillow again and she breathed, trying to make sense of the world around her. She looked to her side and saw him staring at her with deep concern. She was right about the next morning. Her body absolutely refused to move.

"I'm sorry, Naruto…" she whispered weakly, catching the increasingly worried look on his face, "I must've used too much chakra last night…" Naruto's brow drew together in question.

"How did you manage that?" he asked with a hint of anger. Sakura smiled faintly.

"Your back was hurt… So I healed you… Please don't be mad at me…" Naruto shook his head and narrowed his eyes gently. He sighed and slouched back, running a hand through his disheveled blond locks.

"I'm not mad at you, Sakura-chan, but next time you need to be more careful. It's not wise to exhaust your chakra so early in the mission…" Sakura smiled again pulling an expression of sarcasm.

"Oh…? That's news to me…" She pulled herself up into a sitting position with a little difficulty, but Naruto was there to help her. "I'm sorry about all this. I'll be fine. We really should get going so…" She eased away from Naruto's support and pulled herself to her feet, albeit unsteadily. Naruto stood as well, ready to assist if necessary, but Sakura was in one of her stubborn moods. "Relax, Naruto, I'm fine. You just get ready to go."

Naruto could've chosen to be persistent, but it wasn't wise to act stubbornly against Sakura, especially when she was so tired. He settled on listening instead and getting ready to continue their journey from… wherever the hell they were… He could only hope she had at least a little chakra left to use if absolutely necessary.

* * *

Walking wasn't so hard this morning. Naruto wasn't entirely happy with the idea of Sakura wasting her healing chakra on his _minor injuries_, but he couldn't argue with the results. He'd never been so ready to take on the day and for once he was actually willing to walk halfway across the country. Sakura, however, was not. He glanced back and thankfully she wasn't too far behind this time. 

Sakura trekked forward ignoring the cold pain in her chest. It seemed as though with every step she took it was harder and harder to breath, though it was a little late to be having second thoughts about healing Naruto. She continued onward, nonetheless, hoping she hadn't gotten too far behind for Naruto to come try to help her… _Again…_

"Sakura-chan, do you need a break?" he asked, suddenly at her side and she paused to curse at herself.

"No…" she answered tiredly, and approached a fallen log. She stopped again staring at the log, hoping it would just move and makes things easier. Unfortunately it did not, but luckily Naruto was there. He hopped onto the log and held out his hand. She took it without hesitation. His palm was warm and comforting as he gripped her hand and with one tug he pulled her onto the log beside him.

Their hands remained connected for a little longer than necessary and Sakura peered upward, catching his gaze. It was obvious what was on both their minds at that moment, but she didn't think it so smart to delve into that when they were so close to finding their lost teammate. Even so, it was difficult to shove something like a _kiss_ to the back of her mind. Especially her _first_ kiss… And she hadn't even told him to his face how she _really_ felt. Come to think of it, she really couldn't remember what she'd said the previous night at _all_…

"H-How're you feeling?" Naruto asked suddenly, as if trying to change the subject. A handsome hue of red had spread across the bridge of nose and it made her smile. She peered downward, blushing herself.

"Better than this morning, that's for sure. I think I just need to take it easy, but don't worry about me." Naruto nodded and hopped off the log on the other side, helping Sakura ease off as well. She smiled once again at him and began walking forward while he remained still. Her hand slipped from his and he felt his heart leave with her. He felt a little ridiculous thinking such thoughts, since she was only walking ahead of him, but still…

That kiss had proven to him what he'd suspected—and hoped for—all along…

"Hurry up, Naruto! Now you're the one who's lagging behind," she called with a giggle. He shook his head clear and rushed forward to catch up with her…

* * *

"They're still alive… I will not make the same mistake again…"

* * *

The area was quiet… A little _too_ quiet… 

Naruto peered around as he waited for Sakura to catch up on her own and listened to the soft winds rustling the leaves above him. There were thick beams of light spilling into the small clearing he stood in and occasionally one would disappear for a moment as a large bird passed overhead. Still, he heard nothing. He couldn't even hear the birds…

Come to think of it, he couldn't find any form of animal life anymore…

Sakura stepped beside Naruto frowning in question, though she didn't say anything and peered around as well, waiting for him to reveal to her why he was just standing there.

"There's something wrong…" Naruto said quietly, kneeling to observe the leaves at his feet. Sakura stepped toward the nearest tree and examined the trunk. Finding nothing wrong in the surrounding area either she sighed and placed her hands on her hips. A small breeze blew past her and another bird flew overhead.

"Naruto, I don't see…"

Sakura's voice left her as she turned around to find nothing but an empty clearing…

"Naruto…?" she called, stepping to where he once stood. "Naruto, where are you?" She received no answer. "Naruto, this isn't funny! Knock it off and come out now!" Her voice was beginning to tremble as she rubbed her fingers nervously and she still received no answer. She turned and turned around looking in all directions, including upwards. She looked downwards and saw nothing but his footprints and a few tussled leaves. She was completely alone… "NARUTO!!"

"No need to shout," whispered a voice from behind, but it sounded nothing like Naruto. She spun around and a sharp pain shocked down her left arm. The force of a few kunai sent her to the ground, but she was quick to face her enemy again and stood, yanking one of the kunai out of her shoulder and holding it in her defense.

She saw no one, but she could hear a taunting chuckle.

"Where is Naruto?!" he demanded, finding no use in keeping quiet if the creature knew exactly where she was. It was already a little late to hide. Once again, she received no response and while she waited for him to make his move she took the time to pull the other two kunai from her arm. The wounds weren't that deep to begin with, but it was where they hit that worried her. She could already feel her skin begin to tingle with the loss of feeling…

Her mind was loosing focus as she searched for her enemy. Her labored breathing and quick heart rate were the only things she could hear now and the side of her neck was becoming numb. Even her ear was beginning to tingle.

"It's not like me to leave a job unfinished," whispered that mocking voice again, but she was unable to locate where it was coming from. She could sense something, though. There was a faint feeling around her blind spot, but for some reason she just couldn't find the strength to stand anymore.

Sakura fell to her knees and her shoulders slumped. Her thigh was beginning to hurt again and the numbness had reached the side of her face at this point. All the while, whatever was coming at her was coming fast. If only she had enough energy to—

"SAKURA!!" She opened her eyes. Her vision was cloudy but she didn't need to see anything to be able to recognize that voice. Naruto's presence was clear to her now. She could hear him tell her something, but she couldn't quite understand what. He had urgency in his voice that made her nervous. Her legs were being more stubborn than she'd hoped and she could do no better than crawl toward his voice. He became even more urgent and she was beginning to get scared…

She looked so helpless crawling along the leaves and that mocking voice was quick to take advantage of her tender state. He knew that the blond shinobi was rapidly approaching and secretly wished he'd dragged him further into the ground and further away from the site. There was nothing he could do about it now, though, and he just focused on the easy target before him…

Naruto was light on his feet, rushing so fast it took a while for the wind to catch up to him. He knew something was wrong, but he didn't expect to suddenly be dragged beneath the surface of the earth. He blamed himself for allowing it to happen and now Sakura was in immediate danger.

There wasn't time for thought and there wasn't time for retaliation. It was already a problem that he was too late when her garbled whimper flooded his ears. He didn't even stop running as he scooped up her body and dashed as fast as he could into the trees. He leapt on branch after branch following his ears as the river was not to far away. They'd traveled quite far and with any luck a village would be right through the forest.

Naruto looked downward—wishing he hadn't—and eyed the blood collecting in a small pocket of clothing on Sakura's abdomen. Fearing the worst, he dashed forward a few more yards and then paused to do something about the bleeding. Ignoring the stinging in his own chest he removed his jacket and—ignoring Sakura's protests as well— tore away her upper clothing. He winced visibly at the rip in her side.

"Naru-to…" she choked, swallowing the blood that rose in her throat. There were tears in her eyes and she trembled, swallowing constantly. He shushed her and removed his shirt as well, placing it as padding on the wound before tying his jacket tightly around her. He tried not to think too much about her sounds of protest and carefully gathered her up again. He rushed twice as fast as before, determined to get her to safety. His own chest wound was beginning to bleed down his muscles and Sakura's tremendous grip on his bare shoulder was starting to hurt, but nothing was going to slow him down now.

* * *

The sun was beginning to sink into the mountains and many civilians were finishing up their outdoor activities. It just so happened as a last minute delivery was being made and as the road twisted by the forest, a simple man was delivered an unexpected package of his own. 

It was quite a startling event to see a young man rush out of the trees carrying a wounded young woman, but nonetheless, the man was kind—and not _too_ startled—enough to give them a quick ride to the nearby village. It probably wasn't the wisest decision to reside so close to a forest they almost died in _twice_, yet he had little choice if he wanted to save Sakura. In fact, he had _no_ choice if he wanted to save her…

Naturally, a small town that was fairly quiet roused as a commotion was made by the small hospital and many of its few residents were making a small crowd just outside. Sakura was quickly taken to the intensive care and thankfully, Naruto was allowed to stay with her. She gripped his hand, biting her lip so hard it bled as well. He placed a hand on her face and made her look at him and no where else.

Unfortunately for Sakura, this wasn't the most advanced of hospitals…

"We're going to need to close the wound. If you could just…" The doctor trailed off as his assistant brought a small unsharpened pencil and Sakura instantly paled.

"Naruto, what're they going to do? What's going on?" she asked nervously, moving away as the woman tried to put it between her teeth.

"Sakura, please stay still and take the pencil…" he whispered in her ear, but that didn't ease her movements. She complained and tugged at the sheets, hiding her face. Tears streamed down her face and she winced as the doctors pried at her sore skin flaps. They were pinched together and she screamed. Unprepared, she nearly bit the pencil in two as it touched her teeth. She could feel liquid pouring over the wound along with the pinching stings of the needle as it joined her skin together once again.

Naruto buried his face in the pillow, beside her head, and stroked her face, trying his best to comfort her. Her throat was becoming raw now and soon she was only sobbing and breathing hard, tearing the sheets underneath her. He raised his head to kiss her cheek and whisper reassurances in her ear. It was all he could do for her now…

* * *

Many hours later, Naruto sat bandaged and exhausted on a chair near the window of the hospital room. Despite his state of fatigue his tired eyes refused to close, so he focused on Sakura, sleeping on the other side of the room. She was finally peaceful after nearly an hour and a half of treating her injures. The hospital was so behind the times Sakura had to be given opium to ease her body to rest. He knew she was probably extremely sore, but at least she was recovering. 

She had lost a lot of blood and there was little they could do to replace it. Luckily they knew she wouldn't die of blood loss, but they would have to be patient. She was in a very fragile state and it would be a while until she gained even enough strength to continue with the mission.

Oh… The mission… And Sasuke…

Naruto turned to the window knowing what this meant. He would have to continue the mission alone…

"And he just shoved me aside waving a sword in my face! There was nothing I could do!" Naruto's keen ears perked up at this. It was coming from the hallway just outside the door. He stood, wincing only slightly at the pain and stood by the door, listening intently.

"Wasn't there anything you could do?" asked a woman.

"No!" said the man, "He was much too powerful for me, even though he couldn't have been older than what, seventeen?" Naruto's blue eyes widened further in thought. _Surely they couldn't be talking about…_ He opened the door, ignoring the startled looks on their faces and the woman staring at his bare stomach and collarbone…

"What did he look like?" he asked directly. The man looked confused up until Naruto grabbed his collar and dragged him forward, glaring at him threateningly. "Answer me!"

"H-He had short dark hair and piercing red eyes. They looked kind of funny and he wore white robe with dark pants. I think there was a bow in the back made of rope or something…"

"When did you last see him?"

"Um, I think just a few minutes ago," the man sputtered as Naruto dropped him and stared down the hallway eyes wide, brow knit in anger. He swore and ran back into the hospital room, closing the door behind him, leaving the man and woman with curious stares.

He rummaged through his backpack and quickly pulled on his extra shirt, followed by his trademark jacket. He tied his headband on tightly and stared out the window with a hardened gaze. Sasuke was close, just right under his nose, and it was now or… well, next time, but Naruto was definitely reaching for now. He turned ready to leave when Sakura stirred…

"Where are you going…?" she asked quietly. Even though her throat was raw he could here the hint of accusation in there. She though he was leaving her?

"I have to continue this mission… Sakura-chan… I think Sasuke is close and if I can just find him I can…" Naruto's enthusiasm faded when he saw her looking at him through dark eyelids. It was eerily similar to the state she was in when she'd lost her parents.

"But… You can't just leave me here to go…" she paused to swallow painfully, "To go fight him now. You'll need help, Naruto… Don't go yet." She was already in tears by now and Naruto walked quickly to her bedside. He smiled as best he could and brushed her bangs from her eyes.

"Sakura-chan… You need to stay here and recover…" His eyes rapidly dimmed as he spoke and his smile became increasingly fake. "And I need to go… and bring Sasuke back for you…" Sakura's eyelids opened as wide as they could, without hurting, in utter shock. Taking her silence as the initiative to leave, he did so, making his way toward the door much slower than before.

"No… Wait!" Naruto didn't pause. He continued walking forward loosing expression and gaining the blood thirsty eyes of a cold blooded killer. The Kyuubi was laughing on the inside…

Sakura shook her head and pulled herself up. She bit her lip to keep from hollering from the pain. It hurt, but it would hurt worse if she just let him leave like that.

"Naruto!" she yelled, just as he'd grasped the doorknob.

Her throat was raw and felt like it was bleeding on the inside, but she tossed the worry to the back of her mind and drew in a sharp breath…

"Naruto, stop! It's not Sasuke I love! IT'S YOU!! I LOVE _YOU_!!"

Time within the room seemed to have stopped all together as Naruto froze mid-turn on the doorknob. He let go and the knob twisted noisily back into place, smashed to a near unusable state. Sakura's chest vibrated raucously as she breathed. He turned to her slowly, eyes full of fear and she sobbed.

"I've always loved you…" she sniffed, wiping her eyes. "I was just so caught up in the thrill of the cute mysterious guy that all the girls liked and… I wasn't thinking and… I'm sorry!" Naruto said nothing, his expression still fearful. She looked up again and gazed into his eyes. "I should've been… I should've seen it before, I know! And I'm sorry I hurt you! Just, please… don't go yet… I don't know what I'd do if I lost you…"

Exhausted she bowed her head and cried. For a moment she forgot to wait for his reaction. She just quietly and heartbreakingly cried.

Naruto's feet wouldn't move for the longest time, but eventually he did manage to break from his stupor and retraced his steps to her bedside. Sakura pulled her head up slightly, acknowledging his presence and he kneeled beside the bed, cupping her face in both palms. He turned her face and caught her gaze again, wiping the tears from under her eyes with his thumbs.

"You… You mean that…?" he whispered, his voice cracking.

…Sakura nodded.

"Every word… Naruto, I beg you, don't go yet," she said, holding his hands over her face.

"Sakura-chan… Sasuke is… here." Sakura gasped, completely caught off guard.

"S-Sasuke… is here…?" Naruto bowed his head.

"Yes… Which is why I have to go. Sakura-chan, if I don't leave soon, I may not find him." He waited patiently for her response.

"I… I understand…" Naruto peered up in slight surprise to her determined tone. "But don't say it's for me. It's for both of us, you understand?" He sighed, smiling on impulse and nodded.

"Sakura-chan… You don't know how much this means to me… How long I've waited to hear that…" She only smiled, since the pain was starting to give her an uncomfortable headache. She winced involuntarily and Naruto was quick to ease her back on the bed, with his face hovering inches above hers.

"I still don't want you to go… but it can't be helped… I just want you to know that whatever happens… _you'd_ better come back, with or without Sasuke…" Naruto nodded and, giving her a cautious look, he leaned downward, gently capturing her soft lips. For the longest moment he memorized the feel of her lips against his and the softness of her skin under the pads of his fingers. Certainly, it would take a while to finish this mission and he wasn't able to take the luxury of Sakura's company with him this time.

He pulled away to look at her face. It wasn't her best moment, but she was still beautiful to him.

"I have to go soon… but I don't want to…" He kissed her again, pressing against her lips securely. "After years of waiting… I finally have you… and now… I have to leave again," he mumbled between kisses. He turned his head to contour to her lips and she opened her mouth allowing his tongue to graze her own. Sakura did her best to ignore the pain and lack of oxygen. The taste of Naruto's mouth against hers was just too sweet to let go of yet.

He pulled away again, letting his lips linger for a moment longer…

"Damn it, Sakura… You're making it difficult for me to leave…" Sakura caressed his face.

"I know how you feel… Sasuke's close, you said… The sooner you get back, the sooner you can reap your rewards…" Naruto nodded and kissed her a final time before reluctantly pulling himself away. He managed to get the door open—looking a little embarrassed about the state of the doorknob—and glanced back at Sakura. She gave him a quiet smile.

"I love you, Naruto…" Naruto felt a painful throb in his heart, but tried not to react to it. It would only make it harder to leave…

"I love you, Sakura-chan," he said, giving her his priceless smile, filled with unwavering determination along with his infamous thumbs up. "But then," he continued, "You already knew that." With a final toothy grin he vanished out the door, leaving the room in a silent and dark state.

Sakura looked to the window, knowing Naruto was most likely out of town by now. She closed her eyes and placed her hands over her heart in silent prayer. Her body began to fade again, forcing her back into that deep slumber. Her side was in much pain, but she ignored it, thinking instead of the moment Naruto would return to her.

She was glad she had told him of her feelings at long last and felt the heavy burden lift from her chest. He felt the same, and he was right, she did already know, but it was still comforting to hear. She was able to sleep with a smile on her face knowing he knew she loved him. Just as long as he knew, she was able to breath deeply for the first time in many a while…

* * *

Not a footprint was made as Naruto dashed through the night. Something was tugging at his heart and though he knew Sakura had something to do with it, it felt different. His heart was being pulled in another direction and the faster he ran the less strain he felt. 

He was so close now…

He'd raced for a few miles when he'd approached a steep cliff face overlooking a barren wasteland. The whole area felt dead and abandoned, but an eerie feeling of someone's existence lingered in the air. Something resided on this place. Naruto moved briefly to turn around and search another area, but his feet froze in place and his blue eyes focused on something in the distance. Something that looked quite familiar to him…

"Finally… I found you… "

The wind picked up and the eerie existence intensified. Naruto narrowed his eyes and stood his ground as red chakra spilled from his body.

"Sasuke…"

* * *

**TBC…**


End file.
